Houston voters will decide this November whether to make enforcement of low-level marijuana offenses the city’s lowest police priority after the Houston City Council voted Wednesday to place the Houston Freedom Act on the ballot.
The council approved the measure on August 12 without discussion, clearing the way for a public vote on November 3. If approved, the proposal would amend Houston’s city charter to deprioritize certain marijuana offenses while also prohibiting the Houston Police Department from carrying out no-knock warrants.
Ground Game Texas, the organization behind the initiative, submitted roughly 40,000 petition signatures to city officials after conducting a months-long signature drive.
Houston requires at least 20,000 valid signatures to force a charter amendment onto the ballot. The city secretary reviewed a sample of approximately 22,000 signatures and determined that 57% were valid, allowing officials to certify that organizers had surpassed the required threshold.
Under the Houston Freedom Act, enforcement of low-level marijuana possession would become the “lowest possible enforcement priority” for Houston police. Supporters argue the policy would allow officers to devote more resources to violent and serious crimes.
The measure would also require officers executing search warrants to announce themselves and wait before entering, effectively banning no-knock raids. That portion of the proposal was motivated in part by the 2019 Harding Street raid, during which two Houston residents were killed and several officers were wounded after police executed a no-knock warrant based on fabricated evidence. Houston police subsequently restricted the use of no-knock warrants but did not eliminate them entirely.
The November vote will place Houston among a growing number of Texas cities where voters have considered local marijuana reform measures. Similar initiatives have been approved in cities including Austin and Dallas, although Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has challenged local marijuana decriminalization policies in court, arguing municipalities cannot override state drug laws.
Houston voters will make the final decision on the Houston Freedom Act during the November 3 election.
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