Voters in Bastrop, Texas to Vote on Cannabis Decriminalization Proposal in November; Similar Petition ‘On Track’ in Lockhart

Voters in Bastrop, Texas will consider a cannabis decriminalization measure in November, KXAN reports. City officials last week certified the petition, which would make cannabis the lowest priority for Bastrop Police.

The campaign was led by Desiree Venable, who is also the Democratic candidate for Texas House District 17.

“The criminalization of marijuana undermines our individual freedoms and limits career opportunities. The decriminalization of marijuana is a crucial step toward the criminal justice reform we desperately need and I’m happy to be part of this progress.” — Venable, in a statement, via KXAN 

Voters in Lockhart, Texas may also be considering a similar proposal in November. While city officials have not yet confirmed the signatures, officials with Ground Game Texas, which is leading the effort along with Mano Amiga Responsible Implementation (MARI), told KXAN that the city “is on track to put the proposition on the November ballot.”

In a statement, Elle Cross, MARI’s campaign director, said the “policy process is as democratic as it gets” and that advocates are “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.”     

“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,” Cross said. 

Dallas officials last week finalized the petition to put a cannabis decriminalization ordinance to voters in November.   

Voters in Austin, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and San Marcos have approved similar measures. In May, voters in Lubbock rejected a decriminalization referendum, as did San Antonio voters last year; however, San Antonio’s measure was tied to larger criminal justice reforms. Voters in Harker Heights also approved the reforms, but the city council ultimately repealed the initiative.