Freedom Act Lubbock: Rallying for Marijuana Decriminalization
LUBBOCK, Texas — The Freedom Act Lubbock recently announced in a statement that it will be hosting an event to kick off its official petition on August 26 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Wagner Park.
Back in February, an organization called Lubbock Compact started a campaign to make small amounts of marijuana legal for adults in the City of Lubbock, according to the statement. The proposed Freedom Act Ordinance would begin as a petition to decriminalize personal use marijuana. In this case, "small amount" means four ounces or less.
Similar initiatives have successfully resulted in the passing of similar laws in other Texas cities like Harker Heights, Denton, Killeen, San Marcos, Elgin, and Austin. The press release also mentions that cannabis rights activist groups, Hub City NORML and Texas Cannabis Collective, openly support the Freedom Act Lubbock movement.
The statement also highlights that local law enforcement reports an average of 600-700 low-level marijuana arrests per year in Lubbock when no other policy violations are involved. The press release argues that prosecuting individuals for personal marijuana use is not a good use of city resources since it poses no threat to the public and may actually help individuals manage health issues. Many adults in the United States use marijuana to cope with symptoms of depression, anxiety, epilepsy, chronic pain, PTSD, and more.
Adam Hernandez, the Communications Chair for the Lubbock Compact Foundation, stated, "Our city should prioritize the use of our limited resources. It is more sensible to focus on dealing with serious crimes to ensure community safety, rather than disrupting the lives of responsible adults who may use marijuana for various reasons that are known to be helpful."
To bring the issue up for a vote, the city requires a little over 4,800 signatures, as mentioned in the press release. The Freedom Act Lubbock encourages community members to sign the petition or volunteer to collect signatures.
For more information about the effort, you can visit the Freedom Act Lubbock website.
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