Top Houston area law and order officials are taking a softer tone when it comes to marijuana. It marks a dramatic shift in the way marijuana laws could be enforced locally.

New Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg beat out Devon Anderson on a platform that included marijuana and drug law reform.

"I never felt it was fair to put users in jails with murderers," said Ogg.

Ogg now vows to follow through on her campaign promises to ensure misdemeanor marijuana possession suspects don't end up in jail. And she's not alone.

New Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez has expressed support for the plan and just last week HPD's new chief Art Acevedo also voiced support for marijuana law reform in a radio interview with advocate Dean Becker.

Voters in eight states passed marijuana legalization laws following the 2016 presidential election, giving the legalization movement the required momentum for more states across the country to carry out discussions on the decriminalization of cannabis in 2017.

Here are seven states to watch that are gearing up to legalize cannabis in 2017:

Delaware

The recreational legalization of cannabis is expected to be discussed by the state’s officials in early 2017. Sen. Margaret Rose Henry, during a Medical Marijuana Act Oversight Committee meeting in October 2016, said: “It’s time to certainly look at it.”

State Sen. Jose Menendez plans to file a bill Tuesday morning that would expand the use of medical marijuana in Texas.

Twenty-eight states have already approved the use of medical marijuana, including many conservative states.

In 2015, Texas state lawmakers legalized the use of medical marijuana in Texas (SB 339), but the scope was limited.

So limited, that only those suffering from intractable epilepsy, otherwise known as uncontrolled epilepsy, are allowed to get a prescription for cannabis oil.

“We (elected officials) aren't doctors,” said Menendez. “Doctors know what's best and we should let doctors and patients decide what medicines they should use.”

Menendez’s bill would allow patients with cancer or other illnesses to gain access to cannabis.

More than half of the United States allow marijuana use of some kind after voters in eight states passed legalization laws following the 2016 presidential election. Since then, cannabis advocates in other states have been pushing even harder for marijuana reform, and some states have already hopped on the legalization bandwagon and started considering making changes to weed laws in Texas, Virginia, Ohio and Tennessee.

Texas lawmakers have begun a multi-pronged attempt to reshape marijuana rules in the Lone Star State in the wake of voters passing pro-pot initiatives in several states across the country as a result of last week’s election.

At least six marijuana-related proposals have been laid out since Monday when state lawmakers officially became able to file bills to be considered during the 2017 legislative session, The Texas Tribune reported this week.

Days after voters in four states agreed to legalize marijuana for recreational use, Texans may likely decide soon if they want to follow suit and reshape drugs laws of their own.

If you start hearing stories about thousands of toy soldiers showing up on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol on Veteran’s Day, you can thank David Bass.

Bass is the director of veteran outreach for Texas NORML, one of the cannabis advocacy group’s most active chapters.

He came by that position through hard experience. Years ago, Bass found himself taking an assortment of prescription painkillers to deal with the PTSD and chronic pain brought on by a 20-year career in the U.S. Army.

The election wasn't just about Republicans and Democrats, marijuana also won big on election night. Voters approved recreational marijuana in California, Nevada, Massachusetts and Maine. Medicinal marijuana passed in Montana, North Dakota, Arkansas and Florida. 

But will either of those measures ever reach Texas?

We have seen a very slight softening on the attitudes of legislators here in Texas when it comes to marijuana legislation, but there is still a long way to go before there's any sort of wide-scale legalization.

One thing that won't be on the ballot in Texas next week, is whether to legalize marijuana. However, a growing number of states are considering it and supporters say it gives them more momentum here in our area.

Right now, recreational marijuana is legal in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Washington D.C. It's on the ballot in Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada.

"It's been a part of my life since I was a child, family members growing up in Katy farming community believe it or not,” said Cara Bonin, Exectuive Director for Houston NORML. "This is a natural plant that god put on this earth."

She's paying close attention this election to how marijuana does on ballots across the country.

The Texas Department of Public Safety is considering a policy change to the state’s limited medical-marijuana law that would raise the fees for dispensaries and growers from $6,000 to $1.3-million dollars. 

At the end of 2015, the Public Safety Commission passed an initial set of rules, part of which set the rate that would be imposed on businesses wanting to become dispensaries and grow operations at $6,000.  This month, the state agency proposed raising that fee to $1.3 million dollars.

A trend has emerged in recent years for district attorneys in larger Texas counties to dismiss a greater number of cases involving small amounts of marijuana.

The largest counties by population in Texas–Bexar, Dallas, Harris, Tarrant and Travis–have had a greater number of dismissals since 2011, according to analysis by the Austin American-Statesman.