LOCKHART, Texas — The city of Lockhart is one step closer to decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana possession.
On Tuesday, the city clerk officially finished the verification process for the Lockhart Freedom Act ballot petition, meaning it will likely end up on the November ballot. The petition aims to remove criminal sanctions against the possession of four ounces of marijuana or less for those within city limits.
If the act passes into law, police will be prevented from making arrests or giving citations for Class A or Class B misdemeanors. Additionally, the scent of marijuana itself would not be considered enough reason to conduct a search.
The verification comes after more than 900 signatures were collected by the nonprofit organization Ground Game Texas, with the help of advocacy group Mano Amiga.
"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 resources, we are also working to build community power in Lockhart," Mano Amiga Campaign Director Elle Cross said.
The organizations believe by decriminalizing low-level marijuana offenses, Lockhart can instead focus on increasing public safety and limiting discrimination. The groups announced they had collected enough signatures to put the issue up to a vote back in May.
Lockhart isn't the first Central Texas city to introduce a ballot measure like this. In recent years, Austin, Elgin and San Marcos have also fought for marijuana decimalization.
Back in spring 2022, Ground Game Texas worked with the state's capital city to limit marijuana criminalization for possession of limited amounts.
Since then, Austin, Elgin and San Marcos have all faced lawsuits attempting to dismiss the new policies, but all of those suits have been dismissed. Even still, recreational weed use is still illegal in Texas.
Looking ahead, the Lockhart City Council will host its next meeting on Aug. 6, where councilmembers are expected to send the measure to the November ballot, where it will be decided on by residents.