Arrests for marijuana possession in Texas, nation

Posted By Law Offices of Jeffrey C. Grass || 31-Oct-2012

If it seems like someone is always getting arrested for marijuana possession in Texas it's probably because someone is. The number of individuals arrested for marijuana possession in Texas and throughout the country has been tracked by a new FBI report which highlights a startling number of individuals being arrested for possession of marijuana.

One and half million drug possession arrests were made throughout the U.S. in 2011, according to the FBI's Uniform Crime Report. Of those arrests, roughly 750,000 were for illegal possession of marijuana. Analyzing the statistics, that results in one person being arrested for marijuana possession every 42 seconds in the U.S.

If you think that seems like a disproportionate amount, you are not alone. Critics of the nation's War on Drugs policy said that the high number of marijuana arrests show that current drug policies are failing.

Advocates for making marijuana legal in the U.S. include former law enforcement officials who feel that taxpayers end up paying a lot of money for the courts to lock up low-level drug offenders, which includes those arrested for possessing small amounts of marijuana.

While a few other states have proposed to legalize marijuana, Texas law still makes it illegal to possess or distribute this drug. Simple possession of an illegal drug like marijuana may result in drug charges that involve hefty fines and possible jail time.

Individuals arrested for possessing marijuana should work with a criminal defense attorney as soon as possible to discuss their rights and options when facing these serious charges. If police unlawfully searched an individual or his or her property, charges may be dropped if that evidence was obtained illegally.

Source: Huffington Post, "One Marijuana Arrest Occurs Every 42 Seconds In U.S.: FBI Report," Matt Ferner, Oct. 29, 2012