San Marcos votes to decriminalize low-level marijuana possession
“We knew, by connecting with over 11,000 San Martians over the course of six months, that this was a popular issue among our neighbors. That is why we advocated that voters be given the opportunity to approve this measure at the ballot box themselves, rather than having it approved by council. We can now proclaim that it was truly the community – not elected officials – that made this happen,” said Right to Justice Coordinator with Mano Amiga Action Elle Cross in an email.
Over 15,664 (81%) residents voted for proposition A, while 3,475 (18%) voters cast their ballots against the proposition. The proposition will cover possession of up to four ounces, does not cover THC oil, and only applies to the San Marcos Police Department, Mano Amiga Action Communications Director Sam Benavides previously said to MySA.
In June, Ground Game Texas and Mano Amiga gathered 10,624 voter signatures for the initiative to decriminalize marijuana in San Marcos. Of the 10,624 signatures, 4,667 were verified by the City of San Marcos.
“We’re hopeful policy change on marijuana enforcement might be a first step toward fundamentally reassessing how we treat drug possession in Hays County,” Benavides said in an email. “Far too many residents are locked in cages here who instead need and deserve professional assistance to tackle addiction. We need to stop treating health issues as criminal ones – a flawed solution which actually creates more harm while reducing public safety.”
MySA reached out to the City of San Marcos for comment.
San Marcos wasn’t the only city to decriminalize marijuana. According to a Texas Tribune report, voters in Denton, Killeen, Elgin, and Harker Heights all voted for to decriminalization.
There are 167,750 registered voters in Hays County, last night’s midterm election saw 89,211 voters head to the polls. That was enough for a 53% turnout. Voters in the county leaned more toward Democrat candidates and incumbents. Of the 130,109 registered Comal County voters, 74,381 cast their ballots, which was a 57% turnout. The majority of Comal County voters cast their votes for Republicans. Over 22,507 Kendall County registered voters went to the polls, which was a 61% turnout. Voters in Kendall County voted more Republican.
