Austin, TX: Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed suit against several Texas municipalities for implementing local ballot measures depenalizing marijuana possession offenses.
The suit seeks to nullify laws in the cities of Austin, San Marcos, Killeen, Elgin, and Denton. Voters in all five cities approved local initiatives in 2022 limiting local law enforcement from making arrests or issuing citations for most marijuana-related violations. Local advocates are seeking to place similar measures before voters in Dallas and Lockhart.
The Attorney General argues that localities are forbidden from implementing policies that fail to “fully enforce laws related to drugs.” He said in a press release, “I will not stand idly by as cities run by pro-crime extremists deliberately violate Texas law and promote the use of illicit drugs that harm our communities.”
State law defines marijuana possession as a criminal misdemeanor, punishable by up to 180 days in jail, a $2,000 fine, and a criminal record. According to data compiled by Texas NORML, police made an estimated 219,000 marijuana-related arrests between 2017 and 2021. Ninety-seven percent of those arrested were charged with possession only. Fifty-six percent of those arrested were under 25 years of age.
Additional information is available from Texas NORML.