Texas Marijuana Possession Ticket Law Hard to Swallow

By Alison Gonzalez

Published on January 07, 2008

The law, passed last September, gives officers the option to ticket people carrying four ounces or less of marijuana, rather than sending them to jail.

The law was intended to ease overcrowding in jails across the state, to help law enforcement save money, and to keep officers from making unnecessary trips to jail for nonviolent offenses.

The idea is not to empty the jails, but rather to make sure there is enough room for people who need to be there, said Dallas County criminal justice director Ron Stretcher.

But the rule has met much resistance among officers in Dallas, Hidalgo, Smith, Tarrant, and other counties, who have not adopted it.

Officers will continue to arrest people because drugs should be kept off the streets, said Rolando Garcia of the San Juan Police.

Four ounces of pot is a large amount that equals more than 100 joints, said Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino. If small offenders can't be arrested, the search for their larger drug suppliers becomes hindered.

Other critics argue that issuing citations will increase problems with court compliance.

Currently, Travis County is the only area using the marijuana ticket law. Lawmakers believe other counties are using a wait-and-see approach.

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