Two Texas cities now look set to vote on partial hashish decriminalization throughout the election later this 12 months.
Yesterday, information broke that Lockhart residents might quickly vote on decriminalizing low-level hashish possession inside metropolis limits, following a profitable petition effort.
On July 23, Lockhart Metropolis Secretary Julie Bowerman verified the Lockhart Freedom Act poll petition.
The petition, supported by Mano Amiga Accountable Implementation (MARI) and Floor Sport Texas, gathered over 900 signatures from metropolis voters.
The Lockhart Metropolis Council is scheduled to satisfy on August 6, and Floor Sport Texas officers count on the proposition to be on the November poll.
If authorized, the measure would decriminalize the possession of as much as 4 ounces of hashish inside Lockhart. This initiative goals to cut back pointless arrests, forestall the detrimental penalties of such arrests, and save metropolis sources.
“This marketing campaign is about ending useless hashish arrests, defending our neighborhood, and demonstrating the ability we maintain collectively,” stated Elle Cross, MARI’s marketing campaign director.
It got here simply days after it was introduced that Dallas residents would additionally vote on a measure to cease native police from arresting individuals for low-level hashish offenses.
Activists from Floor Sport Texas gathered over 50,000 signatures to assist the initiative, which was verified by metropolis officers on Friday (July 19) and will probably be on the November poll.
The proposed regulation goals to make hashish possession a low precedence for regulation enforcement. It requires adjustments within the metropolis’s finances and police insurance policies to make sure sources are directed away from misdemeanor hashish enforcement and in direction of different public security packages.
At present, Texas regulation treats hashish possession as a misdemeanor, which may result in as much as 180 days in jail, a $2,000 fantastic, and a felony file. From 2017 to 2021, there have been about 219,000 cannabis-related arrests in Texas, with 97% for possession solely and 56% of these arrested being underneath 25 years outdated.
A number of different Texas cities, together with Austin, San Marcos, Killeen, Elgin, and Denton, have already authorized related measures. Authorized challenges to those legal guidelines haven’t been profitable thus far.
