BASTROP, Texas — Two Central Texas cities will now have more lenient policies when it comes to marijuana offenses.
During the Nov. 5 election, Bastrop and Lockhart residents voted in favor of low-level marijuana decriminalization within city limits.
In Bastrop, 69.79% of residents voted in favor of Proposition M and 30.21% vote against it. A total of 4,581 voted, meaning just over 3,000 residents approved the proposition.
Lockhart citizens also approved their city’s Proposition A, with 67.95% of voters supporting the “Lockhart Freedom Act” and 32.05% rejecting it. That breaks down to just over 3,600 of the 5,408 voters agreeing with the charter amendment.
Bastrop’s marijuana policy
Earlier this summer, the “Bastrop Freedom Act” was verified, meaning it could be included on the city’s November ballot after being approved by council.
Now that Proposition M has passed, anyone found in possession of under four ounces of marijuana will not be arrested or given a citation within the Bastrop city limits.
Lockhart’s marijuana laws
The Lockhart Freedom Act is similar to Bastrop’s policy, also ending criminal sanctions for Class A or B misdemeanors throughout the city, effectively allowing possession of four ounces or less of marijuana without arrests or citations.
Ground Game Texas’ involvement
Both Bastrop’s and Lockhart’s propositions were supported by Ground Game Texas, a nonprofit organization that fights for social justice by helping decriminalize small levels of marijuana possession.
In Lockhart, the nonprofit worked alongside criminal justice reform group Mano Amiga to collect more than 900 signatures for Prop A’s verification process.
Outside Bastrop and Lockhart, other Texas cities have also fought for less strict weed policies. These include Austin, Elgin and Killeen.
Despite this, recreational marijuana remains illegal across the state of Texas.