People have been utilizing marijuana for medicinal purposes for years now, both legally and illegally. A drug charge on your record is never a good thing, especially when it’s for a small amount of pot. Austinites can carry their personal stash safely now that the Austin City Council voted Thursday to end the enforcement of low-level misdemeanor marijuana possession. The move effectively ends criminal action against individuals with small amounts of marijuana while also prohibiting Austin police from pursuing new testing methods to distinguish narcotic marijuana from legal hemp. Police still may issue citations and detain individuals for marijuana possession, as granted under state law. However, police can no longer issue any fines or order court dates for people suspected of low-level marijuana possession, which is fewer than 4 ounces of pot or amounts deemed to be for personal use.
Many have cited this move as an effort to reduce racial discrimination. Speakers in Thursday’s gathering told the council that ending enforcement of small amounts of marijuana was most definitely a racial issue. Data from Austin police revealed that of the 432 marijuana citations issued in 2019, 201 were issued to Hispanics and 163 to African Americans, making up 84% of all citations. Austin police will continue to enforce felony marijuana trafficking offenses as it would require action from the Legislature to completely decriminalize the drug. The only person to speak against the decision was Austin police union President Ken Casaday, who stated limiting police officers’ ability to enforce misdemeanor marijuana offenses would make the city less safe. The Austin City Council disagreed with Casaday as the vote was unanimous and they hope to bring the legalization of marijuana to the Legislature next year.
This is an excellent move for Austin because as minimal as a low-level misdemeanor marijuana possession is, it can be detrimental to your record when applying for jobs and housing. More cities are certain to follow behind Austin’s decision, but for now, a marijuana possession charge, no matter how small, can limit your opportunities. At Easy Expunctions we can help you wipe your record clean and even offer free background checks to get you started. Visit www.easyexpunctions.com to see what charges you have that qualify for expungement. We can work directly with you to clean your record and offer a variety of affordable packages.
