Civil rights groups call for legalization based on new Texas marijuana arrest data
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - A marijuana advocacy group says it's compiled statistics showing overall arrests for possession are down in Texas, but the percentage of Black and Hispanic people arrested is going up.
When Marvin Scott was arrested for marijuana possession and taken to the Collin County Jail, he was among 7,400 Black people charged with the crime last year in Texas.
The 26-year-old died in custody after an arrest that June Jenkins argues was unnecessary. "Less than 2 ounces of marijuana and this young man lost his life... it's just unthinkable."
Jenkins is the president of the Collin County's NAACP chapter. She and other local civil rights leaders are calling on legalization or complete decriminalization of marijuana possession after data compiled by Texas NORML found that even though total arrests for possession dropped by 400 between 2020 and 2021, the percentage of Black people arrested increased by 5.9% and Hispanic people by 2.5%.
Angela Luckey, the President of the Grand Prairie NAACP noted, "When you look on a national level also most of the arrests that being made on people of color is dealing with marijuana."
Aubree Adams runs a Texas based group against legalization after what she said marijuana use did to her family while living in Colorado. "My son became addicted and had psychotic episodes from marijuana dabs - the stuff they call medicine - and he developed a substance use disorder."
But Adams says she does support decriminalizing possession. About half of the possession cases involve 17 to 24-year-olds who pay a higher price than they should according to those in favor of reform.
"There's a loss of job, loss of stability for the household, so it's a trickle down effect. It creates a long-term disadvantage for people of color and minority communities," Jenkins said.
Possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana in Texas is currently a class b misdemeanor with a punishment of up to 180 days in jail and a $2000 fine.
