Cannabis decriminalization was passed by voters in five Texas cities. City officials are currently blocking the way.
While residents who supported decriminalizing marijuana claim the opposition disrespects democracy, other municipal authorities express concern that the measures violate state law.
As a result of certain local leaders rejecting voter-approved regulations that largely cease criminal enforcement against possessing small amounts of marijuana, the battle to legalize the drug has taken on a new phase in a number of Texas cities.
Just getting the majority of the vote was only half the struggle.
Since then, organizers of the ballot issues in certain communities have had disagreements with police enforcement as well as the local and county officials in charge of implementing the new legislation. These officials claim that the initiative is illegal and interferes with police officers.
The hardest fighting has taken place in Harker Heights, a 33,000-person community located approximately 55 miles southwest of Waco. The City Council opted to rescind the legislation just two weeks after the proposition received more than 60% of the vote. In a subsequent letter, City Manager David Mitchell argued that the state should make the choice to decriminalize.
