Cannabis decriminalization initiative in Austin, Texas, to be voted on in May

Officials in Austin, Texas have officially given the green light to a cannabis decriminalization initiative, which is now set to appear in an upcoming vote.

On Jan. 18, the Austin, Texas City Council voted to allow the ballot initiative known as the Austin Freedom Act of 2021 in the upcoming May 7 special election. The law will prevent local law enforcement from trying residents for low-level cannabis offenses and also bans “no-knock” searches by police.

The initiative is supported by an organization called Ground Game Texas (GGT). “Thanks to the tireless efforts of Ground Game Texas local organizers and partner organizations, Austin residents will soon be able to make lasting changes to our antiquated and racist criminal justice laws,” said Mike, Political Director of Ground Game Texas Siegel, as the organization received City Clerk approval for the first time in December 2021. “With successful campaigns like these, Ground Game Texas will continue to empower and engage communities in ongoing change – and make a difference for the marginalized communities that are all too often left behind.”

The group collected 33,332 signatures, although only 20,000 were needed. State laws require that 25 percent of the randomly selected signatures must be verified, which equates to 8,334 of the signatures. Of these, 2,455 were disqualified (due to duplicates, lack of signature, or other reasons), but the remaining 5,879 passed the test.

Further celebrations followed when GGT received word that their petition had been approved on January 10th, followed by City Council approval on January 18th.

“It’s official! Austin will hold an Austin Freedom Act election on May 7, 2022. Voters may pass a new city law that (1) ends enforcement of marijuana possession and (2) bans dangerous warrants. Thank you to everyone who got us this far – now let’s win!” the organization wrote on Twitter. GGT also went on to share information on how local lawyers can volunteer their time to support the cause as it begins to grow in other cities across Texas to fight for decriminalization.

The Austin Police Department originally announced the end of cannabis convictions in 2020, stating that subpoenas would only be given “unless there is an imminent threat to an individual’s safety or is part of a high-priority narcotics investigation.” crime-level case or investigation of a violent crime,” KVUE said. The Austin Freedom Act of 2021 makes decriminalization official, stating that if accepted by voters, Class A or B possession offenses would not be prosecuted by law enforcement unless the situation involves a “narcotics-level felony case.” high priority or “identification of a violent offender”. Crime.”

In addition, the law, if passed, would prohibit “no knock” warrants. “Search warrants must not be used. No Austin police officer may seek, execute, or participate in the execution of a search warrant that does not require the officer to knock and announce his presence and wait at least 15 seconds before executing.

Only medicinal cannabis is legal in the state of Texas. The medicinal cannabis program was recently updated in July 2021 when Governor Greg Abbott enacted House Bill 1535. This has been expanded to include post-traumatic stress disorder and all types of cancer as qualifying conditions for enrollment in the state’s medicinal cannabis program. Also, the THC limit has been raised from 0.5 percent THC to “one percent by dry weight.”

More recently, the issue of smokable hemp reached the Texas Supreme Court in early January, which effectively challenged the ban. Presiding Judge Lora Livingston ruled that the smokable hemp ban was unconstitutional and issued a permanent injunction preventing the Texas Department of Health and Human Services from enforcing it.