The six-month pilot program will be coordinated with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and the Houston Police Department. RAMP supports a reduction in criminal convictions for small amounts of marijuana possession.
(Houston, TX) – District Attorney Devon Anderson announced today the implementation of a pilot intervention program. The program will allow first-time offenders caught with less than two ounces of marijuana to be eligible for community service or a substance abuse class in lieu of being charged with a class B misdemeanor. Anderson was accompanied at Tuesday’s press conference by Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia and Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland. These agencies will participate in the six-month pilot program.
“RAMP is encouraged to see that alternatives to a lifelong criminal record are being implemented for small amounts of marijuana possession,” says John Baucum, Political Director for RAMP. “Law enforcement resources should be prioritized to combat violent crime. Our goal would be a change in state law to eliminate the arrest process entirely, but we welcome this change in Harris County. It is one step forward towards sensible marijuana policy reform.”
RAMP (Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition) is a nonprofit organization and political caucus within the GOP working to educate and connect with lawmakers, party leadership, and grassroots activists. We support efforts to bring marijuana out of the black-market and into safe, legal, and regulated use by doctors for compassionate medical care and storefronts for adult recreational use. RAMP was founded in 2012 by Bob and Ann Lee. Learn more at www.RAMPGOP.org.
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