Texas Pot Laws Could Be Relaxing Soon
Getting caught with marijuana in Texas is a pretty good way to score a very detailed tour of the finest jails and courthouses in the Lone Star state. If you were busted with under an ounce or less today in Texas, it could cost you up to $2,000 and up to 6 months in the slammer. If some lawmakers have their way, that could be reduced to a maximum punishment of a $500 fine.
In some areas, the pot laws are even more lax - which is more than a bit confusing, seeing as how Texas is a very conservative state. In Harris County, a relaxed set of rules concerning the Devil's lettuce would allow anyone who is caught with 4 ounces or less to escape incarceration by entering a diversion program. ABC 13 reports that the policy has been in place there since 2017. Since Houston is in this county, the effect is profound. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg says the policy shift has saved the county millions of dollars and has allowed law enforcement agencies to focus their resources on violent offenders.