Texas House to Hold Hearing on Reducing Marijuana Penalties Today

AUSTIN, TX A bill that would reduce penalties for marijuana possession in Texas is scheduled to receive a hearing Mondayafternoon in the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee.

Im proud to present HB 81 to the committee and build on the bipartisan support its had from the very beginning, said Criminal Jurisprudence Committee Chairman Joe Moody (D-El Paso). This sort of reform crosses party lines because its a law enforcement issue, a business issue, a social justice issue, and a taxpayer issue we can be a lot smarter on. Its time for Texas to take a nationwide lead on marijuana policy.

House Bill 81, authored by Moody and Rep. Jason Isaac (R-Dripping Springs) with 35 co-authors, would remove the threat of arrest, jail time, and a criminal record for possession of up to one ounce of marijuana and replace them with a civil fine of up to $250.

Under current Texas law, individuals found in possession of less than two ounces of marijuana can be arrested and given a criminal record, and they face up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $2,000.

There were 61,749 marijuana possession arrests in Texas in 2015, and there were more than 418,000 from 2010-2015, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. These arrests and subsequent prosecution have cost taxpayers billions of dollars.

Passing HB 81 would free up police resources and relieve jails, courts, and taxpayers of substantial expense and time demands, said retired Texas District Court Judge John Delaney. Each marijuana arrest uses about 2.5 hours of police time. With 60,000-70,000 people arrested in Texas annually, this is a significant amount of police time that could be devoted to patrolling residential neighborhoods and business locations and responding to emergency calls.

The American Academy ...