Voters in Dallas County voted on Tuesday to decriminalize marijuana. (Photo by Katie Serrano)
Prop R prohibits Dallas cops from charging people with misdemeanor weed possession.
Editor’s note: This story was updated on Nov. 6 to reflect that Proposition R impacts the city of Dallas.
Voters in Dallas passed Proposition R, or the Dallas Freedom Act, on Tuesday.
The prop — which decriminalizes weed in the city of Dallas — made it on the ballot this election after the grassroots organization Ground Game Texas gathered over 50,000 signatures from Dallas residents.
It made headlines leading up to the election, receiving an endorsement from Willie Nelson. It prohibits the Dallas Police Department from charging people with misdemeanor possession of marijuana. It also stops police from considering the odor of marijuana as probable cause for search or seizure, and bans the use of city funds for THC testing unless it’s part of a felony case.
Catina Voellinger, executive director at Ground Game Texas, credited the community support that helped get the measure in front of voters.
“The Dallas Freedom Act passing is proof that Texas is ready for statewide marijuana reform,” Voellinger said.
While this doesn’t mean marijuana use is legalized in Dallas County, it is a large step in weed reform in the state. Organizations like Texas NORML, a nonprofit that focuses on cannabis law reform, is working to change marijuana laws throughout the state.
Voters in Dallas, Bastrop, and Lockhart faced marijuana decriminalization measures on Tuesday.
