Texas’ legislative session is underway, let’s push for cannabis policy reforms!

The 2025 Texas legislative session is underway, and a bill to stop jailing cannabis consumers has been filed!

Representative John Bucy III (D) has introduced HB1790, which would remove criminal penalties for possession of up to one ounce of cannabis flower, among other drug policy reforms. Texas continues to be an outlier when it comes to arresting people for possessing small amounts of cannabis.

If you live in Texas, ask your legislators to support this legislation.

Reform is urgently needed in Texas. MPP's decriminalization report highlighted a case from March 2021. Marvin Scott III died in jail about nine hours after being incarcerated during booking for possessing less than two ounces of cannabis (the general charge for possession of small amounts of cannabis in Texas). Scott suffered from schizophrenia and was confined in a restraint bed with a spit mask, pepper sprayed, and subjected to a pressure point control technique. He went into fatal cardiac arrest.

As President Trump has said, people should not be jailed for possessing small amounts of cannabis.

We will continue to keep you up to date with cannabis policy reforms on the legislative agenda this year in Texas.