Texas Officials Approve Marijuana Decriminalization Initiative In Lockhart For November Ballot

Lockhart, Texas voters may soon have a say in whether to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cannabis within the city limits.

What Happened: Lockhart City Secretary Julie Bowerman sent a memo on July 23 to the City Council verifying that the Lockhart Freedom Act ballot petition — Mano Amiga Responsible Implementation (MARI) — had successfully collected more than 900 signatures from city voters supporting the proposition before submitting them to the city in late May.

"While this campaign is working to end needless arrests for cannabis possession, keep community members free from the harmful collateral consequences of an arrest and save scarce city resources, we are also working to build community power in Lockhart," Elle Cross, MARI's campaign director, said in a release reported on Monday by KXAN, a local NBC outlet. "This policy process is as democratic as it gets, and we're hopeful that this campaign will demonstrate to our community the power we hold as a collective and the future we can build alongside one another." 

Read Also: Ex-Police Officer Turned Cannabis CEO Calls For Federal Marijuana De-Scheduling In Letter To Harris, Trump, Biden

Lockhart City Council's next meeting is scheduled for Aug. 6. Officials with Ground Game Texas, the advocacy group that has led or supported at least 10 city-based marijuana campaigns across the state, confirmed that the city "is on track to put the proposition on the November ballot," noted the outlet.

With the proposition on the November 2024 ballot, voters will be able to weigh in on whether or not Lockhart will decriminalize the possession of four ounces or less of marijuana within city limits. Lockhart is one of Texas's smallest town with a population of some 15,000.

Meanwhile, advocates are celebrating.

Another victory, this time in Lockhart! We are proud to have supported this campaign, and look forward to its historic passage when the people vote yes in November.https://t.co/ywuP3jWx6l

— Texas Cannabis Collective (@txcannaco) July 29, 2024

Second City This Month And One More Joins Statewide Effort

This marks the second Texas city in July wherein signatures were successfully verified for a cannabis decriminalization ballot to be voted on in November. Dallas was cleared for the ballot on July 25.

Desiree Venable, a Democrat running for a seat in the Texas House, turned in 600 signatures in early July in support of decriminalizing marijuana in Bastrop, a town about 30 miles outside of Austin.

Now Read:

• Dallas Cannabis Reform Ballot Is A Go: Decriminalization In November Elections Would Allow Up To 4 Ounces Of Weed

Photo: El Planteo