Voters Overwhelmingly Back Marijuana Decriminalization In Three Texas Cities

This General Election, Texans voted to decriminalize marijuana on ballot measures in Lockhart, Bastrop, and Dallas.

According to The Dallas Morning News, about 67% of Dallas voters supported the proposition decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana, Proposition R. The charter amendment prohibits police from arresting or citing individuals suspected of possessing four ounces or less of marijuana, with the expectation og benign part of a felony investigation involving violence or narcotics.

In addition, “Dallas police shall not consider the odor of marijuana or hemp to constitute probable cause for any search or seizure,” Prop R reads.

“We got all 3: Dallas, Lockhart, and Bastrop! Texans continue to prove when they have the opportunity to vote, they will overwhelmingly decriminalize marijuana!” Texas Cannabis Collective, a cannabis advocacy group, wrote on X.

The cities included the initiative after activists and advocacy groups managed to gather enough signatures for the petition.

With this proposition, Dallas would be the largest Texas city to ban arrests for low-level possessions of marijuana.

”To me, the support so far for [Proposition] R says that Texas needs to get with the times,” said Dallas council member Paula Blackmon. “We need to pass it statewide, legalize it, regulate it and tax it.”

Other Texas cities such as Austin, Denton, San Marcos, Killeen, and Elgin have also adopted measures to decriminalize low amounts of marijuana. Attorney General Ken Paxton unsuccessfully sued these cities arguing they don’t have the right to adopt such measures, however, it is possible that he’ll try to sue Dallas as well.

Meanwhile, voters expressed their support for the measure.

“We have a lot of people in jail for small amounts of marijuana, and it shouldn’t be like that,” Enoch Correa, a Dallas voter, told The Dallas Morning News.

“Together, we’ve taken a big step toward justice, freedom, and a better future for our community,” wrote Ground Game Texas, one of the groups behind the proposal. “This is more than a victory for marijuana decriminalization—it’s a win for the people of Dallas!”