Legislators in Austin will likely take a closer look at state marijuana laws in 2023.
More than a dozen bills related to cannabis law reform have already been filed in Austin ahead of the upcoming legislative session. Democrats say it's time Texas decriminalize small amounts of weed. Jax James agrees. She's with Texas NORML, a nonprofit that focuses on marijuana law. While states across the country are making changes, she says it's not that simple in the Lone Star State.
“We don’t have the ability to collect signatures and put something on the ballot. We have to go through the [Texas] Legislature,” James said.
Governor Greg Abbott has signaled that he's open to discussing the state's drug laws. A recent Pew survey found the American public broadly favors legalization of marijuana for medical and recreational use by adults.
Despite the recent push for reform, James doubts Texans will see significant change right away.
“We’re likely to see some movement towards decriminalizing cannabis here in Texas, but I do think that we may be another cycle away from full legalization,” she explained.