Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued the City of Dallas over its recent decision to decriminalize cannabis, joining at least five other Texas cities facing similar court battles.
The lawsuit, filed just weeks after 67% of Dallas voters approved Proposition R, also known as the “Dallas Freedom Act,” challenges the city’s move to amend its charter and prevent police from arresting or citing individuals for possessing up to four ounces of cannabis, except in cases involving felony investigations tied to violence or narcotics.
The measure would also prohibit officers from using the smell of cannabis as probable cause for searches or seizures and restrict city funds and resources from being used to test cannabis-related substances to determine if they meet the legal definition of cannabis.
Prior to the vote, Dallas had been one of the largest U.S. cities that has not decriminalized cannabis possession.