Cannabis

[Plutonic Panda]

Well, who wants to help get signatures for the petition? Nobody? I thought so. But if they got enough money to pay signatures takers, surely a good number of people may want to change their minds. Never forget that the petition for SQ788 just barely got enough signatures.

I would absolutely volunteer if I could be reliable but I bounce back between here and LA too often so I can’t.

[barrettd]

Well, who wants to help get signatures for the petition? Nobody? I thought so. But if they got enough money to pay signatures takers, surely a good number of people may want to change their minds. Never forget that the petition for SQ788 just barely got enough signatures.

The legislature should take it up, but I'm sure they'd make it something awful. I'm ok with our current medical situation, to be honest, as it's not very restrictive at all.

[jerrywall]

If the state puts recreational marijuana up for a vote and it passes, Oklahoma will have facilities to distribute both Medical Marijuana & Recreational Marijuana.



Could Oklahoma become the only state to pass both Medical & Recreational Marijuana...

Quite a few of the states where recreational is now legal passed medical marijuana first, so we wouldn't be the only state to pass it.

[Pete]

Even though Oklahoma is technically a 'medical' state, the only thing that separates us from pure recreation is the need for a card.

And everyone knows you can do that online and virtually no one is refused.

I'm not sure much would change if we went to pure recreational laws.

[jerrywall]

^^ It depends on what form recreational takes. Most states set up different taxation rates for recreational vs medical, and many states even separate the medical from the recreational dispensaries (and separate the medical product from the recreational product).

If they merely eliminated the card requirement and left everything else in place, that would be ideal though. I expect the increased revenues would more than offset the loss from the fees. But requiring folks to spend $200 every two years to be able to purchase a legal product with at least some medical functionality is absurd.

[Plutonic Panda]

Even though Oklahoma is technically a 'medical' state, the only thing that separates us from pure recreation is the need for a card.

And everyone knows you can do that online and virtually no one is refused.

I'm not sure much would change if we went to pure recreational laws.

People from out of state particularly Texas where it isn’t legal could come here and give us their money.

[GoGators]

Even though Oklahoma is technically a 'medical' state, the only thing that separates us from pure recreation is the need for a card.

And everyone knows you can do that online and virtually no one is refused.

I'm not sure much would change if we went to pure recreational laws.

There would be a massive change and positive for the state. Recreational would open up sales to residents of other states to buy here legally. There is an easy opportunity to rake in tax revenue from out of state dollars and Oklahoma is not yet capitalizing on a dime of it. There are 7.5 million people that live a stones throw away from our southern border in a state that has no access.

I agree that most here would see little change, but not having recreational is just bad business for the state.

[Plutonic Panda]

It would hugely benefit the state.

[Urbanized]

If the state puts recreational marijuana up for a vote and it passes, Oklahoma will have facilities to distribute both Medical Marijuana & Recreational Marijuana...

...Could Oklahoma become the only state to pass both Medical & Recreational Marijuana...

Mostly all (if not all) states that now have recreational use started out initially with medical.

[Bunty]

The legislature should take it up, but I'm sure they'd make it something awful. I'm ok with our current medical situation, to be honest, as it's not very restrictive at all.

If true that a lot of people are happy with the pot situation now, then that's a major reason why ORCA better have money to hire signature takers. If ORCA doesn't expect to be funded for that, then they should have made it a lot easier upon themselves by making their petition for the state statutes, rather than for the state constitution. A big lesson should have been learned from SQ 788 that you can get a pot law passed for the statutes without the state legislature gutting it or throwing the whole thing out. If only a past rec marijuana legalization supporter had accepted that was true before doing his last failed petition in 2018, possibly rec marijuana would be legal in Oklahoma by now had his petition not been for a constitutional amendment. He got plenty of signatures for a statute change but the problem was that his rec pot petition was for a constitutional amendment.

[Laramie]

Keep hearing that most states started out with medical marijuana. Alaska is among the list. Here's a good site: Rolling Stone: https://www.rollingstone.com/feature...es-map-831885/

The award for hottest cannabis market in the country goes to… Oklahoma? --Rolling Stone.

[OkiePoke]

If legalized, how will that change company drug policies? I'm sure many will test/fire for it. How has it been handled in other states?

[jerrywall]

Oklahoma already has some "limited" protections for medical users. I think they'd have to extend this out to non-medical users. I know lots of local companies have stopped testing for Cannabis altogether locally, unless they are a federal contractor.

[Laramie]

The medical weed, there's nothing to stop card holders from making straw purchases , no way of tracking what is being consumed, unless someone makes or attempts to make a very large purchase.

Biggest concern should be the weed that is still being distributed where it isn't being taxed or checked for quality and safety. much like the concerns we had with legal alcohol distribution vs bootleggers from the 50s and beyond.

[barrettd]

If true that a lot of people are happy with the pot situation now, then that's a major reason why ORCA better have money to hire signature takers. If ORCA doesn't expect to be funded for that, then they should have made it a lot easier upon themselves by making their petition for the state statutes, rather than for the state constitution. A big lesson should have been learned from SQ 788 that you can get a pot law passed for the statutes without the state legislature gutting it or throwing the whole thing out. If only a past rec marijuana legalization supporter had accepted that was true before doing his last failed petition in 2018, possibly rec marijuana would be legal in Oklahoma by now had his petition not been for a constitutional amendment. He got plenty of signatures for a statute change but the problem was that his rec pot petition was for a constitutional amendment.

I don't know much at all about the process. I didn't realize the current rec was a constitutional amendment as well. Why wouldn't they follow whatever SQ788 did?

[chssooner]

If legalized, how will that change company drug policies? I'm sure many will test/fire for it. How has it been handled in other states?

Companies are able to do what they want, when they want, for the most part. I believe they would be able to test and fire for it.

[Jersey Boss]

If legalized, how will that change company drug policies? I'm sure many will test/fire for it. How has it been handled in other states?

It is up to the company how to deal with company policies not the state. With the limited pool of avaiable applicants a company would be at a severe disadvantage trying to be the enforcer of what people do on their own time. But hey a company at the same time could have a no drinking alcohol, no smoking tobacco in your off time either with it being a fireable offense.

[Jersey Boss]

If true that a lot of people are happy with the pot situation now, then that's a major reason why ORCA better have money to hire signature takers. If ORCA doesn't expect to be funded for that, then they should have made it a lot easier upon themselves by making their petition for the state statutes, rather than for the state constitution. A big lesson should have been learned from SQ 788 that you can get a pot law passed for the statutes without the state legislature gutting it or throwing the whole thing out. If only a past rec marijuana legalization supporter had accepted that was true before doing his last failed petition in 2018, possibly rec marijuana would be legal in Oklahoma by now had his petition not been for a constitutional amendment. He got plenty of signatures for a statute change but the problem was that his rec pot petition was for a constitutional amendment.

SQ 788 was not a stautory change. The legislature was powerless to mess with 788, not that a small cabal at the Health Dept. didn't try.

[David]

SQ 788 was absolutely a statutory change, as per the ballot language:

This measure amends the Oklahoma State Statutes. A yes vote legalizes the licensed use, sale, and growth of marijuana in Oklahoma for medicinal purposes. A license is required for use and possession of marijuana for medicinal purposes and must be approved by an Oklahoma Board Certified Physician.

The State Department of Health will issue medical marijuana licenses if the application is eighteen years of older an Oklahoma resident. A special exception will be granted to an applicant under the age of eighteen, however these applications must be signed by two physicians and a parent or legal guardian.

The Department will also issue seller, grower, packaging, transportation, research and caregiver licenses. Individual and retail businesses must meet minimal requirements to be licensed to sell marijuana to licensees.

The punishment for unlicensed possession of permitted amounts of marijuana for individuals who can state a medical condition is a fine not exceeding four hundred dollars. Fees and zoning restrictions are established. A seven percent state tax is imposed on medical marijuana sales

[dankrutka]

People from out of state particularly Texas where it isn’t legal could come here and give us their money.

I’m thinking the casinos on the borders would make boatloads if marijuana was recreational.

[Urbanized]

Let’s be real…TONS of Oklahoma’s production is ALREADY destined for Texas. “Medical” is a literal smokescreen for this state. Our medical law as are more liberal than the recreational laws of most states. It’s sorta the wild wild west up in here.

[Jersey Boss]

SQ 788 was absolutely a statutory change, as per the ballot language:

After reviewing the question Bunty and you are right and I was mistaken. My apologies for not knowing better.

[Jersey Boss]

I’m thinking the casinos on the borders would make boatloads if marijuana was recreational.

I was under the impression that casinos are not under state law and would require federal approval for a substance not legal under federal law.

[Bunty]

I don't know much at all about the process. I didn't realize the current rec was a constitutional amendment as well. Why wouldn't they follow whatever SQ788 did?

Some people simply lack common sense. Or maybe the promoters of the current rec petition are already confident they will receive significant funding once their petition gets approved.

One of the top two promoters of the petition for SQ788 asked The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) for money but was declined. The story of how the SQ788 petition succeeded with only around $35,000 for funding was quite remarkable and is worthy of a book and a movie in my opinion.

[Bunty]

I would absolutely volunteer if I could be reliable but I bounce back between here and LA too often so I can’t.

If you got the spare time while in the city during the petition, just go to a busy downtown corner with a sign and get signatures. The petition will need all the help it can get, if they don't have the money to pay signature takers. Bricktown at night would be a good time to do that but probably not at 2am when the bars are letting out.

Probably a tent will be set up at NW Expressway and Hefner, while observing curfew hours, so going there would be a good time to volunteer, if just to hold a sign. Much of the true legend behind explaining how SQ788 barely got enough signatures took place at that corner.