www.marijuanamoment.net Open in urlscan Pro
2606:4700:3035::ac43:d621  Public Scan

Form analysis
3 forms found in the DOM

GET https://www.marijuanamoment.net/

<form method="get" id="searchform" action="https://www.marijuanamoment.net/">
  <input type="text" name="s" id="s" value="Search" onfocus="if (this.value == &quot;Search&quot;) { this.value = &quot;&quot;; }" onblur="if (this.value == &quot;&quot;) { this.value = &quot;Search&quot;; }">
  <input type="hidden" id="searchsubmit" value="Search">
</form>

POST

<form id="mc4wp-form-2" class="mc4wp-form mc4wp-form-869" method="post" data-id="869" data-name="Marijuana News In Your Inbox">
  <div class="mc4wp-form-fields">Get our daily newsletter. <p>
      <label>Email address: </label>
      <input type="email" name="EMAIL" placeholder="Your email address" required="">
    </p>
    <p>
      <input type="submit" value="Sign up">
    </p>
  </div><label style="display: none !important;">Leave this field empty if you're human: <input type="text" name="_mc4wp_honeypot" value="" tabindex="-1" autocomplete="off"></label><input type="hidden" name="_mc4wp_timestamp"
    value="1706906323"><input type="hidden" name="_mc4wp_form_id" value="869"><input type="hidden" name="_mc4wp_form_element_id" value="mc4wp-form-2">
  <div class="mc4wp-response"></div>
</form>

POST

<form id="mc4wp-form-3" class="mc4wp-form mc4wp-form-869" method="post" data-id="869" data-name="Marijuana News In Your Inbox">
  <div class="mc4wp-form-fields">Get our daily newsletter. <p>
      <label>Email address: </label>
      <input type="email" name="EMAIL" placeholder="Your email address" required="">
    </p>
    <p>
      <input type="submit" value="Sign up">
    </p>
  </div><label style="display: none !important;">Leave this field empty if you're human: <input type="text" name="_mc4wp_honeypot" value="" tabindex="-1" autocomplete="off"></label><input type="hidden" name="_mc4wp_timestamp"
    value="1706906323"><input type="hidden" name="_mc4wp_form_id" value="869"><input type="hidden" name="_mc4wp_form_element_id" value="mc4wp-form-3">
  <div class="mc4wp-response"></div>
</form>

Text Content

 * Politics
 * Science & Health
 * Culture
 * Business
 * Video
 * Newsletter
   * Subscribe
 * Remove Ads
 * Bill Tracking
   * About
   * Login Instructions
   * All 2024 Cannabis Bills
   * Bill Hearing Calendar
 * About Marijuana Moment
   * Support Marijuana Moment
   * Subscribe To Newsletter

Connect with us
 * 
 * 
 * 


MARIJUANA MOMENT

TEXAS GOP ATTORNEY GENERAL SUES TO OVERTURN MARIJUANA DECRIMINALIZATION
‘ANARCHY’ IN FIVE CITIES DESPITE LOCAL VOTER APPROVAL


 * Politics
   
    * South Carolina Senators Fall Short Of Supermajority Vote To Advance
      Medical Marijuana Legalization Bill
   
    * DOJ Seeks White House Approval For Updated Marijuana Pardon Certificate
      Form Under Biden’s Expanded Proclamation
   
    * Germany’s Coalition Government Reaches Final Deal On Marijuana
      Legalization Bill, With Vote Set For This Month
   
    * Legal Marijuana Sales In Missouri Will Bring In Nearly $20 Million To
      Support Veterans This Fiscal Year
   
    * Florida Lawmakers Greenlight Proposal To Eliminate Medical Marijuana
      Registration Fees For Veterans

 * Science & Health
   
    * Scientists Develop New Method To Test For Recent Marijuana Use With 96%
      Accuracy In Federally Funded Driving Simulation Study
   
    * American Medical Association Says Safe Drug Consumption Sites ‘Save Lives’
      By Reducing Risky Behaviors And Overdose Deaths
   
    * Dogs Given CBD See ‘Significant Reductions’ In Stress And Anxiety Related
      To Riding In Cars, Study Finds
   
    * CDC Finds Youth Marijuana Use Fell In Washington State’s Largest County
      After Adult-Use Legalization
   
    * Marijuana Study Comparing U.S. And Canada Finds Broad Legalization Support
      And Similar Use Rates Despite Differing National Policies

 * Culture
   
    * Brooklyn Nets And New York Liberty Become First NBA And WNBA Teams To
      Partner With CBD Company
   
    * UFC Warns Fighters To Stop Using Marijuana ‘Immediately’ So They Aren’t
      Punished Under California Athletics Rules
   
    * Treasury Secretary Yellen Says She Over-Prepared For First Time Using
      Marijuana And Jokes That It ‘Always Helps’ With Candy Crush
   
    * NFL Partnering On New Study Using CBD To Treat Pain And Protect From
      Concussions
   
    * NCAA Division I To Vote On Removing Marijuana From Banned Substances List
      For Student Athletes

 * Business
   
    * Multiple States Across The Country See Record-Breaking Marijuana Sales To
      Close Out 2023
   
    * Massachusetts Sets Marijuana Sales Record In December, With Total
      Purchases In 2023 Reaching $1.8 Billion
   
    * Missouri Sold More Than $1.3 Billion Worth Of Legal Marijuana In 2023,
      State Figures Show
   
    * Michigan Marijuana Sales Surpassed $3 Billion In 2023 As Retailers Smashed
      Monthly Record In December
   
    * Rhode Island Marijuana Retailers Shatter Monthly Sales Record, Capping Off
      $100 Million In Cannabis Purchases In 2023

 * Video
   
    * New Hampshire House Subcommittee Tacks Toward More Traditional Marijuana
      Sales Model, Risking Pushback From Governor
   
    * U.S. Senator And Congressman Urge Feds To Fully Legalize Marijuana, Rather
      Than Reschedule It
   
    * Biden Falsely Suggests Marijuana Pardons ‘Expunged’ Records And Released
      Prisoners While Campaigning On ‘Promises Kept’
   
    * Fetterman Opposes Schumer’s Zyn Nicotine Pouch Crackdown For Same
      ‘Freedom’ Reasons He Backs Marijuana Legalization
   
    * Ohio Marijuana Law Has Created A ‘Goofy Situation,’ Governor Says, With
      Legal Possession But No Place To Buy It

 * Newsletter
   
    * GOP cannabis pushback in Congress (Newsletter: February 2, 2024)
   
    * TX AG’s cannabis lawsuit seeks to overturn local decrim laws (Newsletter:
      February 1, 2024)
   
    * Senators demand DEA answer cannabis questions (Newsletter: January 31,
      2024)
   
    * Biden misstates cannabis pardon impact (Newsletter: January 30, 2024)
   
    * NY gov “fed up” with cannabis market launch (Newsletter: January 29, 2024)
   
   * Subscribe
 * Remove Ads
 * Bill Tracking
   * About
   * Login Instructions
   * All 2024 Cannabis Bills
   * Bill Hearing Calendar
 * About Marijuana Moment
   * Support Marijuana Moment
   * Subscribe To Newsletter




POLITICS


TEXAS GOP ATTORNEY GENERAL SUES TO OVERTURN MARIJUANA DECRIMINALIZATION
‘ANARCHY’ IN FIVE CITIES DESPITE LOCAL VOTER APPROVAL

Published

2 days ago

on

January 31, 2024

By

Kyle Jaeger

The Republican attorney general of Texas is suing five cities over local laws
decriminalizing marijuana that voters approved, vowing to overrule the “anarchy”
of “pro-crime extremists” who advocated for the reform.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) on Wednesday filed lawsuits against the
cities of Austin, San Marcos, Killeen, Elgin and Denton over the
decriminalization policies that voters passed at the ballot over recent years.

Citing state statute and Constitutional provisions that he argues prevent
localities from enacting laws that conflict with statewide policy, Paxton said
in a press release on Wednesday that he “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.”

Petition to decriminalize marijuana in Dallas

Petition to decriminalize marijuana in Dallas
If passed, the "Dallas Freedom Act" would also prohibit the city from allocating
any budgeted resources for THC concentration tests. The act has support from the
Dallas Democratic Party and at least one local justice of the peace.
More Videos


0 seconds of 3 minutes, 2 secondsVolume 0%

Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
Keyboard ShortcutsEnabledDisabled
Play/PauseSPACE
Increase Volume↑
Decrease Volume↓
Seek Forward→
Seek Backward←
Captions On/Offc
Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf
Mute/Unmutem
Decrease Caption Size-
Increase Caption Size+ or =
Seek %0-9

Next Up
CDC says teen pot use declined in Washington after legalization
00:46
facebook twitter Email pinterest
Linkhttps://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/GPHnccHt
Copied
Live
00:00
03:02
03:02








 

“This unconstitutional action by municipalities demonstrates why Texas must have
a law to ‘follow the law,’” he said. “It’s quite simple: the legislature passes
every law after a full debate on the issues, and we don’t allow cities the
ability to create anarchy by picking and choosing the laws they enforce.”

This comes as activists with Ground Game Texas and Texas Cannabis Collective are
actively collecting signatures to place local marijuana decriminalization
initiatives on the November ballot in two more cities: Dallas and Lockhart.



Voters in Lubbock are already set to get the opportunity to decide on a local
decriminalization measure in May after lawmakers approved a resolution to place
it on the ballot after declining to enact on the reform legislatively.







 

“Ken Paxton’s lawsuits represent an anti-democratic assault on the
constitutional authority of Texas Home Rule cities to set local law enforcement
priorities,” Julie Oliver, executive director for Ground Game Texas, said in a
press release. “In each of the cities sued, a supermajority of voters adopted a
policy to deprioritize marijuana enforcement in order to reduce racially-biased
law enforcement outcomes and save scarce public resources for higher priority
public safety needs.”

“Furthermore, Paxton’s slander of so-called ‘pro crime’ organizations that
support marijuana reform policies is profoundly ironic coming from a person who
is under criminal indictment for securities fraud, under federal investigation
for other financial crimes, and has admitted to violating the civil rights of
whistleblowers within his own office,” she said. “This lawsuit is an obvious
attempt to deflect from Paxton’s embarrassing legal jeopardy and diminishing
political influence.”



In general, the measures that have been enacted in Austin, Denton, Elgin, Harker
Heights, Killeen and San Marcos prevent police from making arrests or issuing
citations for Class A or B misdemeanor cannabis possession offenses, unless it’s
part of a high priority felony  investigation for narcotics or violent crime.

Harker Heights wasn’t targeted in the lawsuit, which is likely related to the
city’s refusal to implement the voter-approved policy change, which prompted
Ground Game to file suit against officials last month.



Shortly after voters in Harker Heights approved their measure, the city council
overturned the ordinance over concerns that it conflicted with state law.
But activists collected signatures for another initiative and successfully
repealed the repeal last May—though officials have still refused to move forward
with implementing the will of voters.

In November, Ground Game released a report that looked at the impacts of the
marijuana reform laws. It found that the measures will keep hundreds of people
out of jail, even as they have led to blowback from law enforcement in some
cities. The initiatives have also driven voter turnout by being on the ballot,
the report said.

Another cannabis decriminalization measure that went before voters in San
Antonio last May was overwhelmingly defeated, but that proposal also included
unrelated provisions to prevent enforcement of abortion restrictions.

Advocates have faced other issues in certain jurisdictions where voters approved
decriminalization.



The Killeen City Council temporarily paused implementation of its local
voter-approved ordinance, arguing that there were legal concerns that lawmakers
needed to sort through before giving it their approval, which they eventually
did. But last April, Bell County filed a lawsuit challenging the policy.

At the state-level last year, the Texas House of Representatives passed a series
of bills to decriminalize marijuana, facilitate expungements and allow chronic
pain patients to access medical cannabis as an opioid alternative. But they
ultimately stalled out in the Senate, which has been a theme for cannabis reform
measures in the conservative legislature over several sessions.



The House passed similar cannabis decriminalization proposals during the past
two legislative sessions, in 2021 and 2019.

Separately, a Texas Democratic senator brought the issue of marijuana
legalization to the Senate floor last May, seeking to attach to an unrelated
resolution an amendment that would’ve allowed Texans to vote on ending
prohibition at the ballot box. But the symbolic proposal was ultimately shut
down. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) agreed to another member’s point of order,
deeming the cannabis amendment not germane to the broader legislation.

Nearly three in four Texas voters (72 percent) support decriminalizing
marijuana, according to a University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll in
2022. More than half (55 percent), meanwhile, said they’re in favor of broader
legalization. Seventeen percent said it shouldn’t be legal at all.

Last March, the same institution similarly showed that a majority of Texas
voters feel that the state’s marijuana laws should be “less strict.”



> New Kentucky Marijuana Bill—HB 420—Would Legalize It For Adults, But Faces
> Uphill Battle In GOP-Controlled Legislature



Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.

Marijuana Moment is made possible with support from readers. If you rely on our
cannabis advocacy journalism to stay informed, please consider a monthly Patreon
pledge.
Related Topics:featured

Up Next

Virginia Senate Committee Approves Marijuana Retail Sales And Resentencing Bills

Don't Miss

New Kentucky Marijuana Bill—HB 420—Would Legalize It For Adults, But Faces
Uphill Battle In GOP-Controlled Legislature

Kyle Jaeger


Kyle Jaeger is Marijuana Moment's Sacramento-based managing editor. His work has
also appeared in High Times, VICE and attn.



YOU MAY LIKE

South Carolina Senators Fall Short Of Supermajority Vote To Advance Medical
Marijuana Legalization Bill

Brooklyn Nets And New York Liberty Become First NBA And WNBA Teams To Partner
With CBD Company

DOJ Seeks White House Approval For Updated Marijuana Pardon Certificate Form
Under Biden’s Expanded Proclamation

Germany’s Coalition Government Reaches Final Deal On Marijuana Legalization
Bill, With Vote Set For This Month

Legal Marijuana Sales In Missouri Will Bring In Nearly $20 Million To Support
Veterans This Fiscal Year

Florida Lawmakers Greenlight Proposal To Eliminate Medical Marijuana
Registration Fees For Veterans


Advertisement

MARIJUANA NEWS IN YOUR INBOX

Get our daily newsletter.

Email address:



Leave this field empty if you're human:



SUPPORT MARIJUANA MOMENT




 * 
 * 
 * 

 * About Marijuana Moment
 * Subscribe
 * Sponsorship and Advertising
 * Privacy Policy

All the cannabis news you need, all in one place. Copyright © 2017-2024
Marijuana Moment LLC ® and Tom Angell

Information from your device can be used to personalize your ad experience.

Do not sell or share my personal information.
A Raptive Partner Site







✕
Do not sell or share my personal information.
You have chosen to opt-out of the sale or sharing of your information from this
site and any of its affiliates. To opt back in please click the "Customize my ad
experience" link.

This site collects information through the use of cookies and other tracking
tools. Cookies and these tools do not contain any information that personally
identifies a user, but personal information that would be stored about you may
be linked to the information stored in and obtained from them. This information
would be used and shared for Analytics, Ad Serving, Interest Based Advertising,
among other purposes.

For more information please visit this site's Privacy Policy.
CANCEL
CONTINUE






MARIJUANA NEWS IN YOUR INBOX

 

Get our daily newsletter.

Email address:



Leave this field empty if you're human:

×