Sat Nov 23 16:40:00 UTC 2024: **Texas Attorney General Sues Dallas Over Marijuana Decriminalization**
**Dallas, TX** – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit Thursday against the city of Dallas, challenging a recently passed ballot measure that decriminalizes possession of small amounts of marijuana. Proposition R, approved by 67% of Dallas voters, prohibits police from arresting or citing individuals for possessing less than four ounces of marijuana.
Paxton argues that Proposition R directly contradicts state law, which criminalizes marijuana possession, and violates the Texas Constitution. He claims the city lacks the authority to override state drug laws and that the measure is a “backdoor attempt” to circumvent state regulations. He has threatened similar legal action against any other Texas city attempting similar decriminalization efforts. This lawsuit marks the fifth such action Paxton has taken against Texas cities since January 2024 over similar marijuana policies.
Ground Game Texas, a progressive group that supported the ballot measure, countered that the initiative aims to reduce jail populations, combat racial bias in policing, and save taxpayer money. They dismissed the lawsuit as a “baseless” waste of resources, noting that similar lawsuits in Travis and Hays counties were previously dismissed.
The lawsuit comes after interim Dallas Police Chief Michael Igo instructed officers to refrain from enforcing marijuana laws for possession of less than four ounces. The legal battle highlights the ongoing conflict between state and local approaches to marijuana regulation in Texas.
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