Criminal justice group pushing for ballot initiative to decriminalize pot possession in San Marcos
- UnSplash / Marty O’Neill
- A planned petition drive in San Marcos could lead to decriminalization of pot possession there.
If a criminal justice-reform organization gets its way, the nearby city of San Marcos could stop bringing charges for marijuana possession.
Nonprofit group Mano Amiga, which lobbied the city for a cite-and-release policy for weed, wants to land a proposal onto the November 2022 ballot that would let voters decide whether to end criminal prosecutions for pot possession, Austin NPR affiliate KUT reports.
Eric Martinez, Mano Amiga’s policy director told the station that a cite-and-release policy still burdens people ticketed for possession charge by forcing them to contend with legal fees.
“It is well past time that we follow the footsteps of many cities and states in the United States to not criminalize possession of cannabis,” Martinez said.
Mano Amiga wants to begin petitioning voters in the spring so it can get its measure onto the ballot for November 2022, KUT reports. The group needs signatures from at least 10% of registered voters, which must be approved by San Marcos’ city clerk.
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