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Houston Cannabis Possession Arrests Surge Nearly 1,200% Under Mayor Whitmire
A public records analysis shows misdemeanor cannabis arrests in Houston jumped from about 35 per year to an average of 440 annually under the current mayor, as voters prepare to weigh a deprioritization ballot measure.
Misdemeanor cannabis possession arrests in Houston have risen nearly 1,200% under Mayor John Whitmire, according to data obtained by Houston Public Media. The increase comes as a Ground Game Texas initiative to make low-level cannabis enforcement the city's lowest police priority has qualified for the November ballot.
Arrests for misdemeanor cannabis possession in Houston have spiked nearly 1,200% under Mayor John Whitmire, according to a Houston Public Media analysis of public records. Under Whitmire, Houston police have arrested an average of 440 people per year for low-level cannabis possession, compared with only about 35 misdemeanor cannabis arrests per year from 2021 to 2023.
The data emerges as Houston voters prepare to consider a local ballot initiative that would make cannabis possession the lowest possible enforcement priority for city police. The measure, submitted by the advocacy group Ground Game Texas, qualified for November's ballot with more than 40,000 signatures.
Catina Voellinger, executive director of Ground Game Texas, told Houston Public Media that the recent arrest spike "just makes the case even stronger of why we need these policies." Mayor Whitmire said last month that enforcement of low-level cannabis possession is not a priority.
If voters approve the initiative, Houston would join several other Texas cities with local cannabis enforcement reforms, including Austin, Dallas, and Killeen.