Lubbock, Texas: Activists in the city of Lubbock (population: 261,000) have reportedly collected a sufficient number of signatures to compel city officials to vote on a measure depenalizing marijuana possession.
Advocates must submit 3,651 valid signatures from local voters by October 17th in order to place their initiated measure before politicians. Advocates say they have collected 8,800 signatures and that they plan to turn in some 10,000 signatures by the mid-October deadline.
The initiative seeks to end arrests and citations for adults who possess misdemeanor amounts of cannabis within the city’s limits. The measure also prohibits police from issuing citations for charges related to the possession of marijuana paraphernalia.
Once the signatures are certified, city officials will have to vote to either enact or reject the measure. If they reject it, the measure will go for before voters as a 2024 ballot initiative.
Voters in several Texas cities – including Austin, Denton, Elgin, Harker Heights, Killeen, and San Marcos – have approved similar ballot measures in recent years. In some instances, like in Harker Heights, local officials have attempted to halt the implementation of the measures following voter approval.
Information on the initiative effort is available from Freedom Act Lubbock. Additional information is available from Texas NORML.