POSS MARIJ < 2OZTexas Health & Safety Code (HSC) § 481.121(b)(1)
“POSS MARIJ < 2OZ” stands for Possession of Marijuana Under 2 Ounces, a Class B misdemeanor under Texas Health & Safety Code (HSC) § 481.121(b)(1). It is punishable by up to 180 days in county jail and a fine up to $2,000.
Below: how these cases end in Texas courts, how long they take, and the punishment.
What does “POSS MARIJ < 2OZ” mean?
“POSS MARIJ < 2OZ” stands for Possession of Marijuana Under 2 Ounces, a Class B misdemeanor under Texas HSC § 481.121(b)(1).
Texas Health and Safety Code § 481.121 prohibits knowingly or intentionally possessing a usable quantity of marijuana. This variant, § 481.121(b)(1), is the statute's lowest weight bracket and applies when the amount possessed is two ounces or less. Marijuana under Texas law means the Cannabis sativa plant and its usable parts, excluding mature stalks and sterilized seeds and — since the 2019 hemp law — excluding hemp, meaning cannabis with no more than 0.3 percent delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol. THC concentrates, vape oils, and edibles are not charged under this statute; they are treated as Penalty Group 2 controlled substances. The State must prove a usable quantity, the person's actual care, custody, control, or management of the marijuana, and the person's knowledge that the substance was marijuana. Weight alone distinguishes this bracket from the higher grades of the same statute.
What usually happens to a POSS MARIJ < 2OZ charge?
60% ended without a conviction, 13% in deferred adjudication and 28% in a conviction.
How 8,462 resolved POSS MARIJ < 2OZ charges filed 2019–2023 ended, across 15 counties (Bastrop, Bell, Brazoria, Collin, Comal, Dallas, Denton, FortBend, Galveston, Harris, Hays, Montgomery, Rockwall, Travis, Williamson):
| County | Resolved | Not convicted | Deferred | Convicted | Median days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collin | 3,405 | 49% | 18% | 33% | 180 |
| Hays | 1,847 | 83% | 5% | 13% | 535 |
| Denton | 946 | 39% | 18% | 44% | 321 |
| Comal | 619 | 98% | 1% | 1% | — |
| Rockwall | 501 | 53% | 19% | 28% | 184 |
| Montgomery | 399 | 21% | 15% | 64% | 127 |
| Bell | 202 | 55% | 11% | 34% | 540 |
| Dallas | 200 | 87% | 3% | 11% | 252 |
| Galveston | 197 | 68% | 7% | 24% | 256 |
Outcome is the final disposition recorded on the charge. “Other” (3) covers waived counts, bond forfeitures, transfers and unrecorded outcomes. Bexar County records disposition dates but not outcomes, so it counts toward time-to-disposition only. Tarrant County criminal records are not in this dataset.
How long does a POSS MARIJ < 2OZ case take to resolve?
Typically about 8 months: half of resolved cases closed within 235 days of filing.
Across 8,455 resolved POSS MARIJ < 2OZ charges filed 2019–2023, the median time from filing to disposition was 235 days. The middle half took between 116 and 484 days.
Time depends on the county's docket, whether the case is set for trial, and plea negotiations.
How did real POSS MARIJ < 2OZ cases end?
Individual cases from the public court record, with the disposition and sentence text exactly as the clerk entered it. Every case is decided on its own facts.
Ended without a conviction
Deferred adjudication
Ended in a conviction
What is the punishment for Possession of Marijuana Under 2 Ounces in Texas?
Up to 180 days in county jail and a fine up to $2,000.
| Charged as | Possible confinement | Fine | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class B misdemeanor | Up to 180 days in county jail | Fine up to $2,000 | Penal Code § 12.22 |
Ranges are the statutory maximums for the level; enhancements, prior convictions and plea agreements change what is actually imposed.
How much is bail for POSS MARIJ < 2OZ in Texas?
The median bail is $2,000, and 15% of defendants were released on a personal bond.
Across 161,382 Texas bail settings for this charge (195 counties, Apr 2022 – Jun 2025), the median cash or surety bond was $2,000 (middle half: $1,000 – $5,000). 15% of defendants were released on a personal bond, and bail was denied in 2,275 cases. When this was the only charge at booking (37,525 records), the median was $1,000 and 30% got a personal bond.
| County | Records | Median cash bail | Middle half | Personal bond | Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarrant | 19,371 | $1,000 | $500 – $2,500 | 26% | 1% |
| Dallas | 6,899 | $1,000 | $500 – $2,000 | 8% | 5% |
| El Paso | 5,798 | $1,500 | $100 – $5,000 | 18% | 2% |
| Nueces | 5,147 | $500 | $500 – $1,500 | 6% | 1% |
| Collin | 4,637 | $1,000 | $500 – $3,000 | 23% | 0% |
Showing the 5 counties with the most records; use the selector for any county with at least 30. Per-charge bond settings on original magistrations, from Texas OCA bail reporting under SB 6. Bail is set case by case — these are statistics, not a prediction.
Charged with POSS MARIJ < 2OZ?
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Find a Defense AttorneyBail data: Texas Office of Court Administration magistration reports (SB 6), Apr 2022 – Jun 2025. Court outcomes: county district and county clerk records. Statistics describe past cases and are not legal advice; every case is decided on its own facts.