Thread by @TexasTribune

1/ Four members of Austin’s City Council want to pass a proposal that would effectively decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana altogether and “virtually end arrests and fines” by city police for possession of personal amounts of cannabis. bit.ly/2t9q2tl

2/ This proposal comes as Texas law enforcement grapples with how to determine if a substance is marijuana thanks to the state’s legalization of hemp last year. bit.ly/2t9q2tl

3/ That law narrowed the definition of marijuana from the cannabis plant to cannabis that contains more than 0.3% THC.

But public labs in Texas don’t have the technology to test for that difference. bit.ly/2t9q2tl

4/ The resolution would largely direct police to stop arresting people or issuing citations in low-level marijuana possession cases where officers won’t be able to get a lab report to distinguish between now-legal hemp and illegal marijuana. bit.ly/2t9q2tl

5/ It would also forbid the city from spending funds or using its personnel to perform those tests. bit.ly/2t9q2tl

6/ “If there’s no intent to sell or distribute, we’re not going to mess with it,” said Greg Casar, the lead sponsor of the proposal. bit.ly/2t9q2tl

7/ Casar said police would still be able to confiscate suspected marijuana and pursue charges like driving under the influence of marijuana.

The #atxcouncil will vote on the proposal later this month, and it only needs two more votes to pass. bit.ly/2t9q2tl

8/8 Read @jsmccullou’s story from last week to learn more about the hemp law’s effect on marijuana prosecutions. Those prosecutions have dropped by more than half since June. bit.ly/35GExBZ