Cannabis supporters want action from City Council to stem pot-related arrests in El Paso
A handful of cannabis advocates appeared before the El Paso City Council and called for the city to review its marijuana laws and enforce the previously approved cite-and-release program.
Four of the seven cannabis advocates at Tuesday's meeting are employed by High Horse Cannabis Co., a marijuana dispensary in Chaparral, New Mexico.
Colt DeMorris, director of retail operations for High Horse, said the council passed a resolution supporting the cite-and-release program in 2019 and approved it the following year.
The program gives police discretion to issue a ticket instead of making an arrest for misdemeanor amounts of cannabis, and results in reduced time spent arresting and booking someone into jail.
But, DeMorris said, the El Paso Police Department has not adopted the program and "officers are still arresting at will."
Nicole Jordan, an El Paso native, said the cite-and-release program would save people a lot of trauma. She recalled her own arrest for marijuana possession in 2020, which she said left her face bruised and ended in a felony charge.
"It was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life," Jordan said. "It changed my life from one day to the next."
Advocates call cannabis healthy and safe
In pleading their case, many of the advocates pointed to the medicinal qualities of cannabis, which they say is providing relief for scores of Texans who secure it despite the threat of arrest if caught bringing it home.
"There's need and that need for access isn't just in Las Cruces and New Mexico," High Horse director of public engagement Scott Krahling said. "It's in Texas. It's healthy and it's safe."
Pain management is one of the most common reasons people report for using medical cannabis in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, the CDC stated there is limited evidence that it works to treat most types of acute or chronic pain.
Medical cannabis advocate Paulina Medina recalled being struck by a car crossing the street near El Paso City Hall in 2014. The injuries left her with chronic pain, which she relieves with cannabis.
She called on the council to decriminalize marijuana possession in the city and utilize the state's Compassionate Use Program, which allows Texas residents with a doctor's recommendation to access medical cannabis for an array of illnesses.
"We need these resources to bring peace ... to our community," Medina said.
The advocates spoke during the public comment part of the meeting and council members did not respond.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Marijuana supporters call on El Paso City Council to stem arrests
