We are deeply saddened by the passing of Ann Lee, founder and executive director of Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition (RAMP) - a woman whose courage, conviction, and compassion transformed the cannabis policy debate in Texas and across the country.
Ann was a legend. Fierce, unrelenting, and unafraid to speak her mind, she embodied the truest spirit of conservative values - limited government, fiscal responsibility, and personal freedom. Long before it was politically convenient, Ann challenged her own party to confront the injustice of marijuana prohibition and to align policy with principle.
Her journey began when her son was injured and turned to cannabis to manage nerve pain. That experience opened Ann’s eyes to the science, compassion, and common sense behind reform. “I had fallen hook, line, and sinker for the propaganda our government put out,” she often said - and from that moment forward, she made it her mission to set the record straight.
In 2012, Ann co-founded RAMP (Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition), giving voice to conservatives who recognized that prohibition had failed - undermining liberty, wasting resources, and causing real harm to families and communities. Through RAMP, she inspired countless lawmakers, advocates, and everyday Texans to see cannabis reform through the lens of justice and responsibility.
Those who worked alongside Ann will remember her fiery testimony at the Capitol, her unflinching honesty, and her deep compassion for others. As Texas House Speaker Pro Tem Joe Moody reflected, “Very sad news. Ann was such an amazing advocate! I’ll never forget the first time I heard her testify. It changed my entire legislative career.”
Ann and RAMP have been steadfast coalition partners since 2014, and her voice has left an indelible mark on Texas cannabis policy. Her leadership helped bridge divides, proving that cannabis reform is not a partisan issue - it’s a matter of principle, compassion, and freedom.
We are profoundly grateful for Ann’s friendship, her partnership, and her unwavering belief that change is possible. Her work lives on in every advocate who continues the fight for sensible, humane, and liberty-minded cannabis policy.
Thank you, Ann - for your courage, your clarity, and your example. May you rest peacefully, and with eternal Liberty.
A Memorial Service followed by a reception will be held on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 10330 Hillcroft St., Houston, TX 77096.
Ann Edwards Lee, 96, passed away peacefully on October 25, 2025, surrounded by family at her beloved longtime home in Houston, Texas.
Ann was born September 9, 1929, in New Orleans, LA to Andrew and Helen (Seib) Edwards. She grew up in nearby Ponchatoula, where her father served as mayor. During her high school years, at the height of the second World War, she served as a plane spotter, watching the skies for Nazi aircraft. Ann proudly called Ponchatoula her hometown her entire life.
Ann graduated from Ponchatoula High School in 1946, then matriculated at the University of Texas in Austin. She was a member of the Chi Omega sorority and graduated with a degree in Education.
While at university, she met Robert ”Bob” Lee of Waco and soon thereafter they were married and blessed with the first of five sons (James). The young family moved to Albuquerque, NM where another son (Michael) was born. Wanting to be closer to family in Waco and Ponchatoula, the family moved to a small (3br-1ba) house in south Houston. Ann was a schoolteacher while Bob was a successful salesman for a National Law Book Publisher, and three more sons were born (Robert, Richard and Donald). In 1968 the family bought land and built a larger house in the new Maplewood South subdivision West of Meyerland where she lived the rest of her life. Ann was a devout parishioner of the nearby St. Thomas More Catholic Church and played the organ during church services for many years.
Ann was a stalwart of the local, state and national Republican parties throughout her life – serving as a member and leader of numerous Republican women’s clubs, a precinct chairman, an election judge, a two-term Treasurer of the county party, and a regular attendee at party conventions. She was honored for lifetime achievement by the Texas Federation of Republican Women and the Harris County Republican Party.
Passionate about contributing to civic life, Ann was also active in the Braes Bayou Association and helped successfully push for many drainage improvement projects. She personally requested the walking/running trail that so many now use along Braes Bayou. A statue of an owl now stands as a monument to her contributions in Arthur Storey Park along Beltway 8. Ann was also committed to reforming marijuana laws and a co-founder of Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition—pushing for reforms long before doing so was acceptable (reforms that are now being realized).
Ann was preceded in death by her parents, brother Wallace Edwards, her beloved husband Robert Lee, sons James Lee and Richard Lee and granddaughter Emily Szafarz. She is survived by sons Michael Lee, Robert Lee, and Donald Lee with his wife Susan Lee; three granddaughters; and six great-grandchildren. Obituary.
Watch Ann testify against marijuana prohibition in 2015: