Smoke It If You Got It – Killeen, TX Approves Amendment To Marijuana Ordinance

Burn baby burn in Killeen, Texas. That’s if you are an avid cannabis smoker, because on December 6 the Killeen council members approved an amendment to the city's ordinance concerning marijuana.

KILLEEN NEEDED TIME TO REVIEW THE NEW ORDINANCE

Back on November 8, the people of Killeen voted in favor of proposition to eliminate low-level marijuana enforcement, but the City Council decided to place a moratorium on the measure in order to weigh some options.

In a 4-3 vote, the council decided to amend part of the new ordinance that removes a provision prohibiting officers from using the smell of marijuana as grounds for conducting a search. They'll reportedly be reviewing the ordinance in three months.

MINIMAL POT POSSESION NO LONGER MEANS GUARANTEED ARREST IN KILLEEN, TEXAS

So, cops can still search you if they think they smell pot, but what's changed?

Well, officers are now prohibited from issuing citations or making an arrest for a class A or B misdemeanor possession of marijuana offense except in limited circumstances.

If you're walking around with more than 4 ounces of pot, you could face jail time. Otherwise, you should be ok if there's nothing else they can pin on you.

The new ordinance also:

• prohibits Class C citations for drug paraphernalia in lieu of a possession of marijuana charge
• prohibits the use of city funds or personnel to perform testing to confirm whether a substance meets the legal definition of marijuana except in limited circumstances
• requires that Killeen police officers receive training on the ordinance
• requires that policies and procedures be updated in accordance with the ordinance
• requires regular open meetings with stakeholders to discuss practices related to the ordinance
• provides that a violation of the ordinance may subject a Killeen police officer to discipline
• requires a report within three months of adoption of the ordinance and annually thereafter to be submitted to City Council concerning implementation of the ordinance

THE (HIGH) TIMES, THEY ARE A'CHANGIN'

This is kind of a game changer for a lot of people who find themselves maybe using marijuana for recreational use or even medical reasons.

I personally am not a smoker of cannabis, but I'm in favor of making pot laws more lenient so police can focus on preventing or responding to more serious crimes, and so people don't have their lives and reputations derailed by a criminal record over a plant. (Just because you smoke marijuana doesn’t mean you need to be placed in jail with people who have done crimes 10 times worse.)

So cheers to you, Killeen, or maybe should I say congrats and light it up. Just be smart and courteous about it so you don't ruin it for everyone else.