Dallas City Council Gives Approval to Marijuana Decrim Measure
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The Dallas City Council today gave approval to a measure meant to reduce marijuana arrests.
Under the law approved today by the council with a 10 to 5 vote, the possession of up to four ounces of cannabis will no longer result in jail time, given the person has a valid ID, is at least 17 years old and has no prior convictions. The individual would still need to appear in court, similar to how a speeding ticket is handled.
Advocates of the law say that it will free up police and police resources to focus on serious, violent crimes. According to Assistant Chief Gary Tittle, there were 436 cases in 2016 that would have qualified under the new law.
With a population of roughly 1.25 million, Dallas is the third most populated city in Texas, and the ninth most populated city in the United States.