Dallas To Vote On Marijuana Decriminalization In November

Decriminalization of Marijuana is getting closer to being a reality, as a proposal gained enough votes to be voted on the city’s ballot on November 5.

Dallas City Secretary Billerae Johnson confirmed that a measure to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana met the minimum requirement of 20,000 valid signatures from city voters. 

The proposal was led by social justice advocacy nonprofit Ground Game Texas, and aims to amend the city’s charter to prevent police from citing or arresting individuals possessing up to 4 ounces of marijuana.

Currently, possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana is a Class B misdemeanor in Texas, punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine. Possession of 2 to 4 ounces is a Class A misdemeanor, with penalties of up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine.

According to the Dallas Morning News, if the proposal is approved, Dallas would become the largest city in the state to decriminalize low-level cannabis possession, even though recreational use of marijuana remains illegal in the state.

“The war on drugs has failed our communities, and people are exhausted that we’ve invested in harsh laws that have harmed all of us,” Catina Voellinger, Ground Game Texas’ executive director, told the News. “The support for this ballot petition from Dallas voters thus far shows that people are unapologetically demanding change that we all deserve.”

Ground Game Texas is also running similar campaigns in Lockhart and McAllen and has supported successful initiatives in Austin, Denton, Elgin, Harker Heights, Killeen, and San Marcos in 2022.

Attorney General Ken Paxton led lawsuits against the five cities that decriminalized marijuana, arguing it violated state law. However, A Travis County judge in June dismissed the lawsuit against Austin. The AG’s office appealed the next day.

In addition to the marijuana proposal, other three citizen-driven petitions met the requirements to be placed on the ballot for approval. The three, led by nonprofit coalition Dallas HERO, aim at increasing the police force and their salaries, waiving the city’s governmental immunity and tying the outcomes of the city’s annual community survey to consequences for the city manager.