An initiative petition to bring up a vote to legalize recreational use of marijuana fell short of the required signatures, according to Oklahoma Secretary of State James Williamson.

In June, Oklahoma voters approved a statutory provision that permits the cultivation and use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. The failed petition would have asked voters to incorporate the right to recreational marijuana in the Oklahoma Constitution. 

The secretary of state’s office counted a total of 102,814 signatures for proposed State Question 797.

As has been previously reported, the initiative required 123,725 signatures to be put on the ballot. That equates to 15 percent of 824,831, the total number of ballots cast in the 2014 gubernatorial election.

As required by law, the secretary of state’s office sent a report on its findings to the Oklahoma Supreme Court. The state Supreme Court will review the information and officially determine whether there are sufficient signatures to place the proposal on a ballot.

The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority has established a call center to answer questions about patient and business application processing and requirements for obtaining medical marijuana licenses.

A new phone number, 1-405-522-6662, has been established to get information about the program. The OMMA call center is now available to answer questions from prospective patients, caregivers and businesses. Hours will be Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Staff will be trained to provide information on application instructions and licensure processes and timeframes.

“We have had a number of questions about requirements since the emergency rules were updated earlier this month and we now have staff in place to help interested parties understand the application process,” said OMMA project manager Buffy Heater. “This is another benchmark for establishing a new program and OMMA is pleased to begin providing this service to Oklahomans who are interested in obtaining a medical marijuana license.”

The online application system for licenses is now available and applications can be submitted for patient, caregiver and business licenses.