Civil rights groups are high on the move by Bexar County to relax the way law enforcement handles cases that involve small amounts of marijuana, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
"There is no reason to tie up resources over something that's nonviolent and doesn't impact public safety," Matt Simpson with the ACLU of Texas tells Newsradio 1200 WOAI.
Under the pilot 'Cite and Release' program, cops will have the discretion to write a citation, like a traffic ticket, to a person who has committed one of a handful of low level offenses.
"Class A and Class B possession of marijuana, Class B criminal mischief, Class B theft, Class B theft of service, and Class B driving while license invalid," District Attorney Nico LaHood says.
The person who gets the ticket will be given the opportunity to complete a class which, if passed, will result in no charge filed and no time in jail.
"This program will allow officers to stay on our streets and continue to protect our community," LaHood said.
A study done by the ACLU found that, in 2010, cops in Texas arrested 74,286 people for marijuana-related charges. The vast majority, 97.8 percent, were for possession. The estimated cost to taxpayers for locking up potheads topped $20 million.
Simpson says that money could be better spent taking real bad guys off the streets.
"We've seen it done in a few different parts of the state and, thus far, it seems like it's a pretty good way at refocus our public spending on things that really matter."