AUSTIN, Texas — A Texas nonprofit advocacy organization is planning to go to court in defense of marijuana policies.
On Thursday, Ground Game Texas stated it plans to defend the "Austin Freedom Act," which bans no-knock warrants and stops arrests for possession of marijuana under four ounces throughout the state capital.
This comes after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued five cities earlier this year, including Austin, for their current non-prosecution policies.
"I 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," Paxton said in a statement after filing the suit.
Now, leaders with Ground Game Texas have stated their plans to defend the ordinance in a hearing on June 10 at the Travis County District Court.
"Austin's marijuana reform policy advances racial justice and prevents the waste of scarce public resources," Ground Game Texas Executive Director Catina Voellinger said in a statement.
Voellinger said the group has decided to intervene in the lawsuit to "defend this important local reform."
The history of the Austin Freedom Act
In early 2022, Ground Game Texas led the push for marijuana decriminalization in Austin.
The advocacy group gathered more than 33,000 signatures. On May 7 of that year, approximately 85% of residents voted for the proposition to become city policy.
Since then, the Austin Freedom Act – adopted as Austin City Code, Title 16 – has been enforced by lawmakers.
Despite this, weed itself is still not legal in Austin. Rather, the policy makes it so that low-level offenses alone are not cause for tickets or arrests. In addition, Class A or Class B misdemeanor offenses do not warrant enough reason to issue a citation.
Besides Austin, Paxton has also sued the cities of Denton, Elgin, Killeen and San Marcos for their similar stances on the substance.
