Getty Images

Dallas’ Cite and Release policy takes effect today, but before you take your Dallas Cowboys helmet bong out to Tietze Park, know that marijuana is far from legal in Big D.

Sign up for our newsletter!

* indicates required

The new policy will keep you from being arrested and detained should you be found with less than 4 ounces of marijuana, but you will still be ticketed and will have to go to court if you are caught with any weed at all.  You can at least make it to work, and the police can issue the ticket and go about their patrol duties without having to make a trip to jail.

The new policy will only apply to those who have a Texas I.D. and are caught with less than 4 ounces of the drug (any more than that is a felony). It also only applies if you live and are caught in the City of Dallas portion of Dallas County.

So if you are from out of town, or live in parts of Far North Dallas that are in Collin County, you are out of luck. The fact that some Dallas residents live in another county (and thus aren’t part of the Dallas County sheriff’s jurisdiction) was a major hurdle in getting this law passed.

You still can’t sell it either, so try and find another way to fund your Hulu subscription.

And should you be caught, the punishments remain the same. If you have under 2 ounces, it is a Class B misdemeanor and punishable by up to $2,000 in fines and/or 180 days in jail. If you have between 2-4 ounces, it is a Class A misdemeanor, which can cost $4,000 in fines and/or up to a year in jail.