Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton recently announced a lawsuit against the city of Dallas regarding a new ballot measure that decriminalizes small amounts of marijuana. This measure, known as Proposition R, essentially stops the Dallas Police Department from arresting or issuing tickets for marijuana possession and prohibits using the smell of marijuana as a reason for searches.
Paxton argues that this local law goes against Texas state law, which still criminalizes marijuana possession and distribution. He emphasizes that the Texas Constitution does not allow cities to create their own laws that conflict with state legislation. “Cities cannot pick and choose which state laws they follow,” Paxton said, underscoring his position that Dallas has no authorization to bypass state drug laws.
He described the ballot initiative as a “backdoor attempt” to contravene the Texas Constitution and has warned that he will take legal action against any other cities that try to implement similar restrictions on police enforcement.
This lawsuit follows a directive from Dallas’s interim police chief, Michael Igo, advising officers not to enforce marijuana laws against individuals possessing less than four ounces of the substance. Meanwhile, Ground Game Texas, the progressive group that pushed for the measure, contends that it will prevent unnecessary arrests, reduce biased policing, and save taxpayers money.
Critics of Paxton’s lawsuit, like the executive director of Ground Game Texas, claim that it is an unnecessary waste of resources. They argue that the overwhelming majority of Dallas voters—67%—supported the measure, highlighting it as a clear expression of democratic choice.
Since the beginning of 2024, Attorney General Paxton has initiated lawsuits against five Texas cities for adopting similar decriminalization measures, asserting that such policies can lead to higher crime rates and drug-related issues.
