By Paul Armentano
Legislation
seeking to reduce marijuana possession penalties
has been reintroduced in the Texas House of
Representatives.
House Bill 548 amends Texas law so that the
adult possession of up to one ounce of marijuana
is reduced from a Class
B misdemeanor (punishable by 180 days in
jail and a $2,000 fine) to a Class
C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine not
exceeding $500 and no criminal record.
According to 2007 state arrest data, a staggering 97 percent of all Texas marijuana arrests — approximately 69,000 people — are for possession only. Passage of this bill would bring immediate relief to hundreds of thousands of Texans who consume marijuana responsibly, and would allow law enforcement officials to reallocate resources toward targeting and prosecuting more serious criminal activity.
Please join DFW NORML and Texas NORML in supporting House Bill 548. You can also contact your state House member directly and urge him or her to vote ‘yes’ on HB 548 by filling out the form below. You can follow the progress of this measure online here and also on the Facebook page for Texas NORML here.











