Vote could come Nov. 8th

Oklahoma Secretary of State Brian Bingman and his staff are checking the signatures on a petition that would bring to a vote a proposal to fully legalize marijuana  in Oklahoma.

Oklahomans for Sensible Marijuana Laws submitted over 164,000 signatures to the state on July 5 in support of what would be State Question 820. The deadline for the petition was August 1.

If the initiative petition is certified, a vote could come as early as the general election on November 8.

Oklahoma legalized the medical use of marijuana but SQ820 would fully legalize recreational use of marijuana.

It would legalize, regulate, and tax recreational marijuana for adults 21-and-over in Oklahoma. SQ820 would make changes in state law but not the Oklahoma Constitution.

Two other marijuana petitions that would also liberalize state marijuana laws are still be circulated for signatures. Those state questions seek to put both medical cannabis and adult use marijuana programs into the state constitution. They require more signatures than SQ820.

Many Democrat leaders are supporting the call for a vote.

Former U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn signed the petition. She said the petitioners got almost twice as many signatures as needed.

“While more than two-thirds of states, including Oklahoma, have legalized some form of cannabis, it remains illegal under federal law,” said Horn, the Democrat nominee for the open seat in the U.S. Senate. “Unfortunately, when it comes to cannabis, the federal government is completely out of step with the majority of Americans. This disconnect between state and federal law forces businesses to deal in cash, essentially ensuring a black market that threatens public safety, harms consumers, producers, the financial industry, banks, small businesses, and everyday Oklahomans.

“That’s why in Congress I co-sponsored and supported the Safe Banking Act. In the Senate I will work to modernize federal policy around cannabis and thoughtfully enact changes that protect businesses, consumers, and the public. We have the opportunity to bring commonsense solutions to this important and complex issue.”

SQ820 would impose a 15% excise tax on all recreational marijuana sales, which is higher than the 7% excise tax levied on all medical marijuana sales.

The new tax revenue would go the state’s General Revenue Fund, localities where sales occur, school districts, the court system and drug treatment programs.

SQ 820 would not replace the state’s medical marijuana program. But the recreational and medical cannabis programs would operate alongside each other with oversight from the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority.

Its biggest impact could be in law enforcement and criminal sentences. Under SQ 820, the changes to would apply retroactively. That means some drug offenders could petition to have their convictions reversed and criminal records expunged.

Promoters of SQ820 claim that tens of thousands of Oklahomans could get their cannabis convictions cleared under SQ 820.