On November 5, voters in three Texas cities have the opportunity to join a handful of others that have decriminalized marijuana possession.
During the November 2022 election, voters in five cities —San Marcos, Austin, Denton, Fort Hood, and Elgin— approved ordinances to decriminalize marijuana, with support ranging between 60% and 82%. This November, voters in Lockhart, Bastrop, and Dallas will have the opportunity to do the same.
All three proposals would prevent law enforcement from arresting individuals found with up to four ounces of marijuana. Instead, they would receive a citation similar to a traffic ticket.
“In past years, Dallas police issued thousands of citations and made hundreds of arrests for simple marijuana possession”, says Ground Game Texas. “These disproportionately targeted Black and Hispanic community members. To promote justice and avoid waste of tax dollars, we want to redirect resources towards real public safety solutions.”
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas, with a population of about 1.3 million. In contrast, Bastrop and Lockhart together have roughly 25,000 residents.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed lawsuits against five cities that enacted marijuana decriminalization ordinances. In Austin and San Marcos, county judges have already dismissed Paxton’s lawsuits.
According to polling released by the University of Texas and the Texas Politics Project, 68% of Texas adults support decriminalizing marijuana.
