Last verified: April 2026
The Polling Data
Multiple independent polling organizations have surveyed Texans on cannabis policy. The trend is consistent and directional: support for reform is growing, and the gap between public opinion and state law is widening.
| Poll | Year | Legalization | Medical | Decriminalization |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UT/Texas Politics Project | 2022 | 55% | — | 72% |
| Texas Lyceum | 2024 | 60% | — | 73% |
| UH Hobby School of Public Affairs | 2025 | 62% | 79% | 69% |
The trajectory is clear: legalization support has grown from 55% to 62% in three years. Medical cannabis support stands at nearly 80%. And only 22% of Texans want current marijuana laws to remain unchanged, according to the UH 2025 survey.
Partisan Breakdown
The most politically significant finding in recent polling is the level of Republican support for cannabis reform. This is not a blue-state issue. The 2025 UH Hobby School survey found:
| Position | Democrats | Republicans | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Support legalization | 71% | 53% | 62% |
| Support medical cannabis | 86% | 75% | 79% |
| Support decriminalization | — | — | 69% |
A majority of Republicans support legalization. Three-quarters of Republicans support medical cannabis. These are not marginal numbers. They reflect a genuine shift in conservative opinion that has not yet been reflected in conservative governance.
The Democratic Primary Signal
In the March 2026 Democratic primary, Texas Democrats included a non-binding proposition on cannabis legalization. The result was overwhelming: voters approved the measure 80% to 20%. While non-binding propositions do not carry the force of law, they signal the intensity of support within the party base and set the agenda for Democratic candidates in the November general election.
RAMP Texas: Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition
Perhaps the most significant political development in Texas cannabis reform has come from within the Republican Party itself. RAMP Texas (Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition) was founded in 2012 by Ann Lee and her son Bob Lee of Houston.
Ann Lee was an unlikely cannabis advocate. A self-described conservative Republican and devout Christian, she was motivated by her son Richard's experience as a paraplegic who found relief from cannabis after conventional pain medications failed. Her advocacy was rooted in a simple principle:
Prohibition is not conservative. It is the antithesis of conservatism. Conservatism stands for individual liberty, limited government, and personal responsibility. Marijuana prohibition violates all three.
Ann Lee, Founder of RAMP Texas
Ann Lee passed away on October 25, 2025, at the age of 96. Her legacy is a Republican cannabis reform movement that works within GOP structures — precinct conventions, county conventions, state platform committees — rather than outside them. RAMP's approach has been to change the party from within, and the results are visible in the polling data: a majority of Texas Republicans now support legalization.
Texas GOP Platform: Plank 165
In 2016, the Texas Republican Party adopted Plank 165 in its state platform, supporting the expansion of the Compassionate Use Program. This was a direct result of RAMP's grassroots work within the party convention system. The platform supports medical cannabis access but stops short of endorsing recreational legalization.
Beto O'Rourke and the Democratic Push
On the Democratic side, Beto O'Rourke has been the most prominent advocate for cannabis reform. As an El Paso City Council member in 2009, O'Rourke authored a resolution calling for an honest debate about ending marijuana prohibition — a bold move at a time when few elected officials would touch the issue.
In 2011, O'Rourke co-authored Dealing Death and Drugs: The Big Business of Dope in the U.S. and Mexico, a book arguing that the war on drugs was fueling cartel violence along the Texas-Mexico border. During his 2022 gubernatorial campaign against Gov. Greg Abbott, O'Rourke pledged to legalize cannabis if elected. He lost the race, but his advocacy helped normalize the issue within Texas Democratic politics.
The Gap Between Opinion and Policy
The polling data tells a story of democratic disconnection. Sixty-two percent of Texans support legalization. Seventy-nine percent support medical cannabis. Bipartisan House majorities pass decriminalization bills. And yet Texas remains one of the most restrictive cannabis states in the country.
The gap is explained by structural factors, not public opinion:
- No ballot initiative: Texans cannot vote directly on legalization, unlike voters in Arizona, Colorado, or Oklahoma
- Senate calendar control: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick blocks reform bills from receiving hearings regardless of Senate member support
- Gerrymandered districts: Primary elections in safe districts incentivize conservative positions on law-and-order issues
- Donor influence: Law enforcement organizations and private prison interests lobby against reform
Until one of these structural factors changes — a new lieutenant governor, a successful legal challenge to Senate rules, or federal preemption — Texas cannabis policy will continue to lag behind Texas public opinion.