Petition to decriminalize marijuana possession in Dallas seeks 20K signatures
DALLAS - A petition circulating around Dallas is seeking to decriminalize marijuana possession within city limits.
The goal is to get enough signatures to get the so-called Dallas Freedom Act on the November ballot.
The coalition is building off of successful marijuana reform campaigns in Texas cities like Austin, San Marcos, Killeen and Denton. They need 20,000 signatures to get on the ballot.
Outside the Frank Crowley Courthouse in Dallas on Monday, a coalition of community organizations held a rally to decriminalize marijuana in the city of Dallas.
"Our jail is full of people arrested for misdemeanor arrests," said Changa Higgins, with the Dallas Action coalition. "And when you look at misdemeanor possession of marijuana, it's no different."
"To amend the city of Dallas charter so that police do not give folks citations or arrest folks for misdemeanor marijuana possession," said Julie Oliver, executive director of Ground Game Texas.
If passed, the Dallas Freedom Act would also prohibit the city from allocating any budgeted resources for THC concentration tests, which is the only confirmed way to test whether a substance is legal hemp or illegal marijuana.
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The act has support from the Dallas Democratic Party and at least one local justice of the peace.
"And provide clarity and consistency for courts for families and police and everyday people in the city of Dallas," said Adam Swartz, Dallas County Justice of the Peace, 3-1.
Dr. Timothy Bray is the director of urban policy research at UT Dallas.
"It's happening in many cities, especially because cities have a great deal of influence over who their police officers pull over, who gets stopped, who gets searched," he said.
Bray says, currently, the Dallas Police Department operates under "cite and release" when it comes to what is considered small or personal amounts of marijuana possession. But he added that without a voter referendum, that could change.
"Amending the city's charter makes it more difficult for future councils or future residents to change the initiative," he said.
A May 2023 report generated by Dallas Action found Black residents of Dallas make up a disproportionate number of arrests by Dallas police, including for minor marijuana possession offenses.
Bray has seen that in his research, too.
"African Americans and other people of color may be four to five times as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession. So decriminalization lowers those effects," he said.
Oliver said it's important to note they're not trying to legalize marijuana possession in Dallas. That has to be done at the state level. The act seeks to decriminalize marijuana possession. She's confident they'll get the 20,000 signatures to get it on the November ballot, and she thinks it will pass.