Houston voters are being asked to make a decision on two major policing issues: how officers handle low-level marijuana possession and whether they can enter homes without knocking and announcing themselves first.
Proposition A would change both policies, but voters cannot choose one without the other. The proposed charter amendment combines the two issues into a single yes-or-no vote.
As early voting continues ahead of the November 3 election, we asked Houston voters what they know about Proposition A and spoke with a political science expert to explain what the measure could mean for residents.
Proposition A, also known as the Houston Freedom Act, would amend the Houston City Charter in two main ways.
First, it would make enforcement of Class A and Class B misdemeanor marijuana possession HPD’s lowest law-enforcement priority. Second, it would stop Houston police officers from requesting or carrying out no-knock search warrants.
The proposal also includes requirements for reporting and reviewing marijuana enforcement practices.
Some voters we spoke with already support changing how police handle low-level marijuana possession.
Abbie said she believes Texas takes a stricter approach to marijuana than necessary.
“I feel like what we have going on in Texas is just a little bit too strict,” she said. “And we have much bigger things to worry about in Houston in my opinion.”
Barrington Davis also supported shifting attention toward other concerns, saying he had seen a different approach to marijuana in Washington, D.C. But he acknowledged that he knew less about no-knock warrants before our conversation.
Brian Ammons said he voted in favor of Proposition A, pointing to concerns about police resources and how they are used.
“There are bigger funding problems that need to be solved,” Ammons said.
Their views reflect two of the central questions surrounding the proposal: whether police should spend less time on low-level marijuana cases and whether additional limits on no-knock warrants would improve safety.
No. Marijuana possession would remain illegal under Texas law.
If Proposition A passes, HPD would be directed to make enforcement of Class A and Class B misdemeanor marijuana possession its lowest priority. That does not mean officers could never make an arrest, and it would not change state law.
Rice University political science professor Mark Jones said the proposal is primarily about how Houston directs its police department’s enforcement efforts.
The practical effect could be fewer low-level marijuana cases entering the criminal justice system if officers make fewer arrests or issue fewer citations. However, the measure would not guarantee that every marijuana possession case would be dismissed or that no one could be arrested.
A marijuana conviction can have consequences beyond a fine or other legal penalties, potentially affecting employment, housing and educational opportunities.
A no-knock warrant allows police to enter a property without first knocking and announcing their presence.
The issue drew significant attention in Houston following the deadly 2019 Harding Street raid, when officers entered a home under a no-knock warrant and a shootout left homeowners Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas dead, along with several officers wounded. The case later led to criminal convictions of officers involved.
Proposition A would require Houston police officers executing search warrants to knock, announce their presence and wait at least 15 seconds before entering.
Supporters argue that the change could reduce the risk of dangerous confrontations and protect residents’ rights. Law enforcement has raised concerns that requiring officers to wait before entering could give armed suspects time to prepare or put officers at greater risk.
Supporters say Proposition A would put police resources toward more serious public-safety concerns, reduce the consequences of low-level marijuana arrests and establish clearer limits on no-knock warrants.
Opponents have questioned whether the measure is necessary, given existing HPD practices, and raised concerns about how the policies would work alongside Texas law and law enforcement in neighboring jurisdictions.
Jones said the marijuana provision would not legalize possession. Instead, it would formalize a lower enforcement priority for HPD.
How the policy would be implemented, and how its requirements would interact with existing law and police procedures, remain important questions.
Houston voters will cast one vote on both provisions.
Voters cannot approve the marijuana provision while rejecting the no-knock warrant provision, or vice versa.
Houston voters will decide Proposition A on November 3, 2026. The measure would change Houston’s charter and HPD policy, but it would not legalize marijuana under Texas law.
