Mark your calendars. February 7th. That is the day hundreds of Texans from around the state will converge at the Capitol to talk to their legislators about marijuana reform. The occasion is a biannual event hosted by Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy called Citizen Lobby Day.
In 2017, over 250 people showed up to the marijuana lobby day, with nearly every district represented in the pack. Check out the event here.
Two organizations need to be commended for their participation in this year’s event.
The first is the Dallas/Fort Worth chapter of the National Organization for Reforming Marijuana Laws (NORML). For lobby day in 2017, DFW NORML chartered dozens of activists, enthusiasts and professionals down I35 to the steps of the Capitol building in Austin. They participated in the pre-lobby training, had lunch, met with their legislators and reconvened for an after social before bussing back home.
This Citizen Lobby Day will be no different. Anyone interested in traveling to the Capitol with DFW NORML for a day is encouraged to sign up here.
The second organization bringing citizens to the Capitol is Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition (RAMP). They are based out of Houston and plan on hauling some of Harris County’s finest to Lobby Day and back.
RAMP is building on the work some of their leadership put in during the 2018 Texas Republican Convention. It included adding an official plank to the party platform calling for marijuana decriminalization in Texas. It reads:
“We support a change in the law to make it a civil, and not a criminal, offense for legal adults only to possess one ounce or less of marijuana for personal use, punishable by a fine of up to $100, but without jail time. “
It passed with an overwhelming 81% majority. RAMP was instrumental in solidifying other cannabis related planks like industrial hemp legalization and expanding the current Texas Compassionate Use Program.
To hitch a ride with RAMP, check them out here.
Stay positive Texas. There is a lot of momentum. With hundreds of Texans continuing to push legislators at the Capitol, there is a real chance that significant reform can happen in 2019.