Dallas City Council member Chad West says he will soon file an ordinance that would decriminalize the personal possession of marijuana throughout the city.
Councilmember West’s ordinance, which will officially be filed during the June 26 meeting of the Dallas City Council, is being cosponsored by Councilmembers Adam Bazaldua, Jaime Resendez and Zarin Gracey. If the ordinance is approved by the council, it will be put to a vote of the people this November.
“Voters in our city and across the country want to decriminalize marijuana. Our already burdened police should focus their attention on serious crime, not arresting people with small amounts of marijuana”, said Councilmember West in a press release. “Bringing this to voters through a City Council-proposed Charter amendment instead of a petition will save the city time and resources.”
Councilmember Adam Bazaldua said “Our jails are overfilled with predominantly brown and black males serving sentences for a substance that is making others millions of dollars in more than 30 states across the country. It’s past time we take action against this injustice.”
The proposal is identical to the Dallas Freedom Act, which proponents are hoping to place on the November ballot with 50,000 signatures already collected. West says the council simply approving the ordinance and placing it on the ballot themselves will save the city time and resources.
The amendment would direct the Dallas Police Department to stop issuing citations and making arrests for Class A or Class B misdemeanors related to possessing marijuana.
