TX County Has Dismissed Hundreds of Marijuana Cases This Month
The new law legalizing the farming and usage of industrial hemp has already caused one unintended side effect - one Texas county has already had to dismiss hundreds of marijuana cases. Tarrant County, home to cities like Arlington and North Richland Hills, has reportedly dropped close to 250 cases of marijuana possession because the new law basically says that police officers aren't knowledgeable enough to determine if the green is pot or not.
The issue is testing. Because hemp and it's illegal twin brother are virtually identical, time consuming and expensive tests must be conducted to determine if the substance police suspect is cannabis actually is. The backlog of cases caught in this legal limbo is so huge, authorities are outright dropping charges and expunging records in hundreds of cases where the person was caught with 2 ounces or less.
Currently, authorities are searching for an accredited lab that can quickly determine if the concentration of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol - the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis) found in confiscated evidence is high enough (more than .3%) to be legally classified as marijuana. According to the Ft. Worth Star Telegram, all of the cases that have been, or that are being considered for dismissal have occurred since June 10th.