LOCKHART, Texas — The cities of Bastrop and Lockhart are both preparing to change how police handle situations when people are caught with marijuana.
On Tuesday, voters in both cities approved propositions that decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana. 68% of voters supported the measure in Lockhart, while 70% of voters supported it in Bastrop.
Lockhart resident Stephen Piatt knows firsthand what it’s like to have a charge affect your life forever. Piatt recalled how 15 years ago, he was charged for carrying under 28 grams.
Now, at the age of 33, he says he is still paying the price.
“It somehow still affected my career and able to move forward even in schooling. There’s colleges that won’t take me over minor possession charges,” Piatt said. “I want to get a normal career. I want to have the opportunity for government benefits and stuff like that. But because of my recent … because of my past charges, I am out of the pool to get a government job, city job.”
Now, Bastrop and Lockhart will have more lenient policies when it comes to marijuana offenses.
Elle Cross worked with Mano Amiga Responsible Implementation, which helped collect the signatures to verify the proposition in Lockhart.
“In the language of the amendment, it says that the odor of marijuana can no longer be used as probable cause for search and seizure, which is a pretty strong addition to that,” Cross said.
Now that the propositions have passed, criminal defense attorney Charlie Baird broke down the next steps in the process.
“They will canvass the results, they will certify the results and what they have done and if the propositions did in fact pass by the requisite majority, then they would become part of the city charter and be part of the law, the organic law of that particular municipality,” Baird said.
While the city of Lockhart says the election results still need to be canvassed, the Bastrop Police Department says it will no longer have the option of issuing a citation for small amounts of marijuana.
It is taking steps toward change that residents like Piatt are ready for.
“The biggest thing for me with this decriminalization act is just a re-eduction and understanding to the people that don’t understand what the potential of cannabis is,” Piatt said.
Other Texas cities have also fought for less strict marijuana policies, like Austin, Elgin and Killeen. However, recreational marijuana still remains illegal across the state.