Texas cannabis reform has had a long run of quiet years, and Austin Zamhariri worked through most of them. Since 2016, according to the Texas Cannabis Collective’s own site, he has served Dallas-Fort Worth and the Texas marijuana reform movement by lobbying legislators in Austin and testifying for decriminalization and medical cannabis bills. The group he leads, the Texas Cannabis Collective, grew from an activist project into a news outlet, a podcast and a coalition builder.
Texas Cannabis Advocacy Pioneers, part 3 of 5. Previous: Lukas Gilkey. Next: Karen C. Reeves. See the full series.
A Movement Builder Since 2016
Zamhariri, whose full name is Daryoush Austin Zamhariri, is the executive director of the Texas Cannabis Collective. Wikipedia describes the group as a cannabis rights activism group founded in 2016, and as of 2022 headed by Zamhariri, a resident of the Fort Worth area. The collective describes itself as a nonprofit focused on breaking news, advocacy and community events in the Texas cannabis space.
Its own site lists the pieces of that mission: sections for Texas and national news, podcasts, a blog and business coverage, along with a veterans’ resource site, a newsletter and a donation page.
Local Campaigns and the Capitol
Zamhariri has worked on local campaigns to decriminalize marijuana in several Texas cities, according to the collective and to the description of his September 8, 2022 appearance on the Cannabinoid Connect podcast. City-level campaigns are a different kind of work from lobbying the Capitol, because they mean talking directly to neighbors and local officials.
At the state level, the collective says he has lobbied legislators in Austin and testified in support of decriminalization and medical cannabis bills.
A United Front
The goal, in Zamhariri’s own mission statement, is to “bring Texas marijuana industry and advocacy into a united front to better challenge current laws.” It is an unusual ambition in a movement where growers, retailers, patients and activists often press different priorities, and it explains why the collective’s coverage spans hemp, medical cannabis and legalization rather than a single issue.
The Lonestar Collective Podcast
One of the collective’s most visible tools is the Lonestar Collective Podcast, which by Episode 99 was interviewing a long list of Texas players. Listings show episodes with attorney Susan Hays on the smokable hemp ban lawsuit (Episode 2), Trey Phillips of Thrive Apothecary (Episode 43), Paul Trowe of Herban Bud (Episode 78), Josh Kasoff, a board member of the collective (Episode 92), and Shaun Salvaje, the collective’s veterans outreach director (Episode 99). Read about her in her profile. The podcast gives patients, business owners and organizers a place to explain their work in their own words, and in doing so documents the movement’s history.
Why It Matters for 2027
With the 90th Legislature approaching and marijuana legalization bills already filed, groups with Zamhariri’s experience can explain how Texas lawmakers have responded to reform before, and how much groundwork a hearing day takes. Readers who want to take part can use our 2027 session guide and the Texas Cannabis Action Center.
Sources describe Zamhariri’s base as Dallas or Fort Worth, and one Texas Hemp Reporter item uses the title Deputy Director rather than executive director, so titles may have changed over time. We found no specific bill numbers or outcomes tied to his testimony beyond the collective’s general description, and we have not confirmed which Lonestar Collective episodes he hosted himself.
Clear answers
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Austin Zamhariri?
Daryoush Austin Zamhariri, known as Austin Zamhariri, is the executive director of the Texas Cannabis Collective, a nonprofit founded in 2016 that covers Texas cannabis news and runs advocacy efforts and community events.
What is the Texas Cannabis Collective?
It is a cannabis rights activism group and news source founded in 2016. It publishes Texas and national cannabis news, runs the Lonestar Collective Podcast and supports advocacy, including veterans outreach.
Has Austin Zamhariri testified at the Texas Legislature?
The collective says he has lobbied legislators in Austin and testified in support of decriminalization and medical cannabis bills since 2016.