This November, Houston voters will be able to reduce the city’s skyrocketing marijuana arrest rate. The Houston Freedom Act, on the ballot as Proposition A, proposes the deprioritization of marijuana enforcement by the Houston Police Department (HPD) and would ban no-knock warrants, which have left a legacy of pain and fear on Houston residents. A no-knock warrant allows police officers to enter someone else’s home without knocking or announcing themselves.
“No-knock warrants are dangerous, for both the people on the inside and the people serving the warrant,” said Catina Voellinger, Executive Director of Ground Game Texas, the organization that authored Proposition A. “Houston has a direct relationship with this dangerous policy.
Catina Voellinger said a 2019 HPD raid in Pecan Park was a big motivator for getting reformed marijuana legislation on an election ballot.
The Harding Street Raid has gone down in Houston’s history as one of the most corrupt police scandals in recent history. The raid made national news after HPD lied to get a no-knock warrant to enter Rhogena Nicholas and Dennis Tuttle’s apartment before killing the couple and their dog.
“A Houstonian couple was killed at the hands and the feet of our taxpayer dollars and HPD,” Voellinger said. “So, this is to set the record straight and enshrine that this doesn’t happen to another Houstonian.”
Ground Game Texas talked to over 120,000 Texans across three major cities to poll for support. The organization gathered 40,000 signatures for the Houston Freedom Act to go on the November ballot.
Before the latest petition, Ground Game Texas spent years advocating for the decriminalization of marijuana in Dallas, Austin, San Marcos, Elgin, and Harker Heights. After Attorney General Ken Paxton filed lawsuits against the major cities that passed decriminalization propositions, the organization had to pivot.
Paxton, now running against James Talarico for US Senate, has been a major opponent of recreational marijuana use in Texas for years, and according to a recent study, stands in opposition with most Texans and most Americans.
The strict enforcement of possession affects hundreds of Houstonians every year. In 2026, over 700 people have already been prosecuted for misdemeanor marijuana possession in Harris County, with HPD accounting for over 30% of the arrests.
According to UH’s 2025 study, a majority of both Democrat and Republican Texans support the legalization of recreational marijuana. (Photo courtesy of Ground Game Texas)
Black Houstonians are disproportionately targeted by enforcement, making up an estimated 74% of all arrests of the last five years. The Houston Freedom Act includes an audit request of arrest demographics.
“We know that usage amongst all demographics are exactly the same, said Voellinger “So we also want to force this conversation about racial policing and why it’s harmful to our communities.”
Mayor John Whitmire attributed high arrest rates to Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare, who then redirected the blame toward state and federal lawmakers. While Teare said he hadn’t yet read the Houston Freedom Act, he supports deprioritizing misdemeanor marijuana possession.He claims the city already has.
“At the end of the day, this is a failure of our state legislature and our federal government for not having safeguards in place to make sure that marijuana is legal, regulated, and safe for everyone involved,” Teare said. “And quite frankly, it’s long overdue. HPD and many of our other law enforcement partners, including the DA’s office, already deprioritize misdemeanor marijuana. But anything that can reinforce that, I’m a fan of.”
Voellinger said that the inconsistency of thought between city leaders is a big part of the issue.
“This is exactly why we need a policy that sticks between different mayors and police chiefs,” Voellinger said. “For instance, Art Acevedo was the police chief at the time of the Harding Street Raid and afterwards, he put forth really harsh policies around no-knock warrants. But a new police chief can come in at any time and change that. What we’re trying to fight for is that there is something in black and white that says ‘this is actually the law of the land.’”
The Houston Freedom Act has been endorsed by State Rep. Vicki Goodwin (D-47), the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor. Goodwin is running against current Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, who opposes the legalization of cannabis and THC products.
