Topline
Voters in Oklahoma on Tuesday rejected a ballot initiative that would have legalized recreational marijuana in the state, becoming the latest in a string of red states to vote against such a measure even as 21 other states pressed forward with legalization in the past ten years.
Key Facts
State Question 820, which would have legalized the purchase and possession of marijuana for anyone of the age of 21 received more than 61.5% “No” votes.
The measure had faced strong opposition from the state’s Republican Governor Kevin Stitt, along with other GOP lawmakers, law enforcement, religious leaders and farmers’ groups.
Despite high-profile opposition to the measure, the legalization campaign had spent $4.9 million to promote the measure compared to $219,000 spent by the “no” campaign, the Associated Press reported.
Crucial Quote
After the results were called, Stitt tweeted: “Oklahomans rejected SQ 820. I believe this is the best thing to keep our kids safe and for our state as a whole…my administration will continue to hold bad actors accountable and crack down on illegal marijuana operations.”
News Peg
Despite the recreational use being voted down Oklahoma continues to have one of the country’s most liberal medical marijuana programs. Medicinal use of cannabis became legal in Oklahoma in 2018 after voters backed a ballot measure and since then the state has seen a surge in dispensaries and growing operations. Getting a medical marijuana card is relatively easy as the state does not limit its use to patients with specific medical conditions and doctor’s recommendations can be requested online. According to the Associated Press, approximately 10% of all adults in the state hold a medical marijuana card.
Big Number
12,395. That is the total number of commercial licenses that Oklahoma has issued to businesses for medical marijuana operations, according to official data. This includes 7,955 growers, 2,648 dispensaries, 1,669 processors and 123 transporters.