Weed News
Perfect 4/20 news: Dallas police stop arresting for small marijuana amounts
In righteous news for April 20, the Dallas Police Department have stopped charging people for possession of marijuana if they are found with less than two ounces and it's for personal use.
Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia outlined the new policy in a memo to the City Council, stating that the change is being made to "lessen the impact of arresting individuals for low level amounts of marijuana."
The only charge for possession would be if you have more than two ounces, or if they find paraphernalia that indicates sales such as digital scales, multiple baggies of marijuana, or packs of empty baggies. Don't be driving around with a box of baggies.
They'll still arrest you if you're in possession of a firearm, and if you're caught with more than two ounces but less than four ounces, you'll get a ticket.
But this is a bummer: In all circumstances, the marijuana will be seized.
In 2019, Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot heroically announced that he would no longer prosecute small possession charges, but the Dallas Police Department kept making arrests. A statement from Cruezot's office says he's pleased to see the policy updated.
"It is the appropriate decision to reduce the racial disparity in arrests of people for low-level marijuana possession charges," his statement says. "This policy allows officers to focus on violent crimes and reducing police response times, which are both issues of high concern to Dallas residents."
The new policy went into effect on April 19.
