Busted for pot in Harris County? Take a class

Harris County is getting ready to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana in a bid to make better use of law enforcement resources and save the county millions of dollars, the Houston Chronicle reports.

District Attorney Kim Ogg announced the new policy on Thursday in Houston and said it would take effect on March 1. She was accompanied by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo and Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

Ogg said Texas’ most populous county has spent $25 million a year for the past 10 years prosecuting people arrested for less than 4 ounces of marijuana.

"We have spent in excess of $250 million, over a quarter-billion dollars, prosecuting a crime that has produced no tangible evidence of improved public safety," she said. "We have disqualified, unnecessarily, thousands of people from greater job, housing and educational opportunities by giving them a criminal record for what is, in effect, a minor law violation."

The policy announced Thursday expands on Harris County’s current policy of letting first-time offenders caught with 2 ounces of pot or less avoid jail time. Ogg, a Democrat elected in November, had pledged in her campaign to cut back on low-level drug arrests, the Chronicle reported.

Starting March 1, those caught with up to 4 ounces of marijuana won’t be arrested or ticketed. They will instead be allowed to attend a four-hour “cognitive decision-making class” at a cost of $150 and will avoid having a criminal record. The pot will be seized and later destroyed. Those who agree to take the class but then fail to show up will face arrest and prosecution, Ogg said.

Authorities told the Chronicle the new policy could keep an estimated 12,000 people a year out of the criminal justice system and save law enforcement officers hours of processing time on minor cases.

At least one DA was critical Ogg’s move, saying she doesn’t speak for the majority of county and district attorneys across the state.

“Unlike Harris County, Montgomery County will not become a sanctuary for dope smokers,” Montgomery County DA Brett Ligon said a news release posted on his office’s Facebook page.

No reaction yet from Tarrant County DA Sharen Wilson’s office.

Possession of marijuana is still illegal in Texas. A number of states have decriminalized possession of small amounts of pot. Eight states and the District of Columbia allow recreational use for adults and many other states allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes.

This story was originally published February 16, 2017 at 4:09 PM with the headline "Busted for pot in Harris County? Take a class."