Tonight at the St. Paul United Methodist Church downtown, law enforcement and judicial officials will appear at a community forum to answer questions about the city’s new cite and release policy, which goes into effect Friday. District Attorney Faith Johnson will moderate the discussion with Sheriff Lupe Valdez, assistant police chief Gary Tittle, prosecutor Ellyce Lindberg, and county criminal court Judge Nancy Mulder.
Before tonight’s forum, and before Dallas police start citing and releasing, rather than arresting, people in possession of less than four ounces of marijuana, we answer a few burning questions about how this will affect the enforcement of marijuana laws in the county.
Does this mean I am free to blaze it now? No. Marijuana, also known as that good good, that devil’s lettuce, that kind bud, that reefer, that boom, that stank, remains illegal in the state of Texas.
Interesting. Speak on that. While 29 states have allowed the use of medical marijuana, including 7 (and the District of Columbia) that have approved recreational use, Texas legislators have taken no significant action on the subject despite an uptick in bills calling for everything from decriminalization to full legalization. Local officials have indicated that they intend to leave questions of marijuana’s legality in the hands of state lawmakers. It was a 2007 decision by the Legislature that cleared the way for cite and release and similar programs adopted recently in San Antonio, Austin, and Houston. Credit where it’s due.
So I shouldn’t bring any pot to the forum tonight? There will
