Kim Ogg, one of the candidates vying to be the Democratic nominee in this year's race for Harris County District Attorney, said Tuesday that under her administration the office would no longer accept charges on small amounts marijuana.

The position would effectively legalize "misdemeanor marijuana" in Houston because law enforcement agencies trying to arrest suspects with less than 4 ounces of the drug would not have an avenue to prosecute.

"I want to give people a true choice between the current administration and what can be done," Ogg told the Houston Chronicle editorial board. "We can stop waiting for the Legislature to save us and use the discretion given to the DA to make a policy call."

The position goes further toward legalization than the campaign plank in Ogg's unsuccessful 2014 run, which called police to cite suspects instead of arrest them. Defendants who performed a day of community service would have their charges dismissed.

Any of the diversion plans used in different jurisdictions across the state, including the current one in Harris County, stem from the legal authority of the elected district attorney to prosecute or not based on their discretion.

Ogg said she expected her plan to lower jail populations and the workload for the state's largest district attorney's office by 12,000 cases a year.

Ogg is running in the March 1 primary against former appellate judge Morris Overstreet and perennial candidate Lloyd Oliver for the Democratic nomination. The winner will run against incumbent Devon Anderson, who does not have an opponent in the GOP primary.

Anderson last year implemented a system to ticket just first offenders instead of arresting them. Defendants can secure dismissals by attending a drug awareness class.

At Tuesday's meeting, Overstreet outlined his position as a "cite and release" program for first-time offenders modeled on his work as a municipal judge in Prairie View.

Both positions focus on first offenders while Ogg's would be open to anyone caught with small amounts of marijuana, even repeat offenders.

Oliver was not invited to the editorial board meeting. The local attorney infamously tosses his hat into the ring for every district attorney election but does not accept donations, spend money or regularly campaign.