Candidate for Bell County Commissioner Louie Minor is supporting an ordinance to decriminalize marijuana. But that’s not full legalization, and questions remain.
KILLEEN, Texas — Louie Minor is running for Bell County Commissioner Precinct 4. Working with former Killeen Councilwoman Shirley Fleming, he has more than 2,500 signatures for an ordinance decriminalizing Marijuana in Killeen.
Minor told 6 News he should easily have enough signatures to get the measure on the ballot in November. 6 News Legal Expert Liz Mitchell said the ordinance could create some complicated situations for both Killeen residents and the Killeen Police Department. Decriminalizing the substance, she said, is not the same as legalizing it.
The ordinance, which can be found here, states, “Killeen police officers shall not issue citations or make arrests for Class A or Class B misdemeanor possession of marijuana offenses, except in the limited circumstances…”
It also prohibits Killeen police from using the odor of marijuana or hemp as probable cause for any search or seizure, except in limited circumstances.
The ordinance would only allow police to make arrests for Class A or Class B misdemeanor possession of marijuana if those arrests are part of an investigation into a felony…
