Fort Worth City Council Member Pushes for More Marijuana Decriminalization

A Fort Worth City Council member says he wants to increase the marijuana burden, defined by authorities as a “small amount,” to ensure non-violent offenders don’t spend time behind bars.

During a briefing on Tuesday, board member Chris Nettles said he would like Fort Worth to allow people with 4 ounces or less of marijuana to be pointed out and released. In June 2021, Tarrant County officials announced that law enforcement would adopt a policy of holding people accountable for “certain minor offenses in Tarrant County” instead of arresting them.

One of these crimes involved possession of marijuana weighing between 2 and 4 ounces.

Of the 230 marijuana-related cases in Fort Worth from October 2021 to 22, Nettles said 16 people were cited and released.

“If they don’t use violence, they shouldn’t be in jail,” Nettles said.

Nettles asked city staff about procedures for filing marijuana-related charges, including how police assess evidence on the spot.

Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes said officers estimated the weight of the pot found. According to Noakes, the official weight will be determined later.

“Some officers have scales in their vehicles, but I cannot say that every officer has scales as part of their normal equipment,” he said.

Deputy City Attorney Letitia Brown released an “informal report” on marijuana law enforcement in the state. Nettles asked Brown for more information regarding the state’s 2-ounce limit in her definition. Nettles also asked Brown if there were “loopholes” or other ways to change the city’s definition of a small amount of marijuana to 4 ounces or less.

Brown said he would review the data Nettles shared before the board and consider his questions regarding the compatibility of his idea with state law.

Voters in five Texas cities, including Denton, passed ordinances to decriminalize the possession of low-grade marijuana. Brown said some cities are facing challenges in enforcing these new rules.

Fort Worth Mayor Matty Parker said she would like to avoid enforcement issues. Regarding the data provided by Nettles on the number of people who have been subpoenaed and released in marijuana cases, Parker said it could be a “communication issue” with police officers.

“The citation and publication policy is, I would say, completely new,” Parker said.

State Representative Jessica Gonzalez, Dallas, recently introduced a bill that would give counties and cities the ability to legalize recreational marijuana use.

Voters in Oklahoma on Tuesday rejected a campaign measure that would have made the recreational use of marijuana legal for people over the age of 21.

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