It is used by our senior population for chronic pain. Veterans use it to treat post-traumatic stresses. People with cancer use it during chemo. It has many uses .”
The Texas Tribune By Jayme L. Carver
Giselle left her job on a Tuesday afternoon to go straight to the North Side of Town. She asked shoppers in 97-degree heat to decriminalize pot for more than three hours.
Ramirez volunteers for Lubbock Compact. This local advocacy group is working to promote the cause. The group chose that particular grocery store because they say the majority of marijuana arrests occur in north and east Lubbock where residents are mainly Black and Hispanic.
Ramirez stated, “I am doing this for my community to stay out of jail because marijuana.” “I do not believe that anyone should be sent to jail because of marijuana. Our city has more serious problems.”
Lubbock’s campaign to decriminalize marijuana for recreational use is the latest effort in a long-running struggle by cannabis supporters. Unlike neighboring states, the Lone Star State has been adamantly opposed to legalizing the drug. Lubbock will be the biggest Texas city decriminalizing marijuana through petition if the proposed change becomes local law.
Some Texans are seeking to decriminalize marijuana, even if it is not legalized statewide for recreational use. Residents of Denton, Killeen and San Marcos have all approved ballot measures that prohibit arrests or citations if you carry less than 4 ounces in most cases. The local city councils, however, have refused to implement the rules approved by voters. Bell County, including Killeen has filed a lawsuit to prevent the change going into effect.
Residents of Lubbock are familiar with the procedure for changing city laws through ballot initiatives. Lubbock residents overwhelmingly approved the so-called sanctuary policy in 2021 that sought to ban abortion within city limits. It is unclear whether these voters would support a marijuana decriminalization law.
Texas has a long history of marijuana debates. Lawmakers have gone as far as legalizing medical marijuana but have drawn the line when it comes to recreational use or lowering penalties for possession.
There have been attempts to change the state law. House Bill 218 is one of the bills that was introduced by Rep. The House approved a bill by Joe Moody, D-El Paso, to reduce the penalties for possession of one ounce marijuana and to allow convictions to be wiped out in certain situations. The bill was later killed in the Senate.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is a strong advocate of lowering marijuana possession penalties, arguing the jails in Texas are already too crowded.
Abbott , at a recent campaign event, said that he does not believe “small possession of marijuana” is the kind of offense we should be stockpiling jails with.
Republican voters are divided on this issue. A recent University of Texas/Texas Politics Project survey showed that only 33 percent of respondents supported “less strict” marijuana laws while 32 percent thought the laws should have been “more strict”. Overall, 51 per cent of Texans surveyed said the state’s cannabis laws should be more relaxed. The margin of error for the February poll was plus or minus 2.8%.
Lubbock Compact, in West Texas, started the Freedom Act Lubbock in August. They have until October 18th to collect 4,800 registered voter signatures, with an additional 7,500 if some signatures prove ineligible. The group has just three weeks left to collect 6,000 signatures.
If the petition passes, the city council will vote on whether to accept or reject the proposal of the group to decriminalize cannabis. If the city council rejects this change, which Lubbock Compact leaders believe is likely, the petition organizers could put it on the ballot in 2024 for voters to decide.
The city officials refused to comment on this article.
Adam Hernandez, Lubbock Compact’s communications chair, said that decriminalizing pot would be a positive step for the city, which has more than 260.000 residents. Ground Game Texas, an organization that works to mobilize voters, and the group collected data on how Lubbock Police enforce marijuana-related offenses.
According to the Report, Blacks account for only 8 percent of Lubbock’s residents while Latinos represent 37 percent. While Black residents make up 29 percent of arrests for marijuana, Latinos account for 49 percent.
The data also shows that 52 percent of marijuana arrests in 2018 involved people aged 25 or younger.
The report urges the city to eliminate disparities.
The report stated that “These findings” should force Lubbock, Texas to reevaluate their marijuana enforcement priorities. They also recommended a policy of fairness and justice for all residents.
Hernandez said that many people in Lubbock, even though they are mostly young people of color, use marijuana.
Hernandez explained that “our senior population uses it to treat chronic pain. Veterans use it to treat post-traumatic stresses, and people with cancer use it during chemo.” There are many uses for it. “If people were to educate themselves, they might find that they have family and friends who are using it for something.”
Hernandez said that if the ordinance is approved, it will lead to updated law enforcement training, but not change the way police treat juveniles caught with marijuana.
In Texas, cities that have more than 5,000 residents have the right to create their own policy. New state laws restrict some policy areas.
Charelle Lett is a legal expert at the Texas chapter of American Civil Liberties Union. She said that the decriminalization policies should be adopted.
Lett said that “as long as this ordinance isn’t prohibited by federal or state law, and to my knowledge there hasn’t been a prohibition in Texas on decriminalizing cannabis so far,” they might have a chance to get it passed.
Lett said that Hernandez’s sentiment was echoed by him, and that decriminalizing could have a significant impact on Black and Latino community members who feel they are overpoliced. It would also help city leaders to hear the voices of those communities.
Lett stated that “people in high positions often forget to listen to those they so-called serve.” Nobody knows what the needs of a community are better than that community itself.
Lubbock Compact, along with their volunteers, have registered over 150 new voters since the petition was started. Residents in other cities nearby have expressed an interest in replicating this effort in their towns.
Ramirez stated that “we’ve heard people from Wolfforth and Levelland wanting to see if this is something they can also do.” “The decriminalizing campaign will continue to grow as long as marijuana is legalized. That’s what most Texans desire.”
The Texas Tribune published this story first.
The Texas Tribune , a nonprofit and nonpartisan media organisation, informs Texans about public policy, politics and government, and engages them in statewide and statewide topics.
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