Daily Brew: Will Oklahoma OK medical marijuana

Oklahoma voters to decide on legalization of medical marijuana + Five more updates on ballot measures from across the country   Oklahoma voters to decide on legalization of medical marijuana State Question 788, the Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative, will be on the ballot in Oklahoma as an initiated state statute on June 26, 2018. If a majority of voters approve, it would legalize marijuana for medical purposes in the state. The possession and medical use of marijuana is currently illegal in Oklahoma. If passed, obtaining a state-issued medical marijuana license would require a board-certified physician's signature. People with licenses would be permitted to possess up to three ounces of marijuana on their person and eight ounces of marijuana in their residence. A seven percent tax would be levied on marijuana sales. William Jones, campaign manager for Vote Yes on 788, a PAC registered in support of the initiative, says it "will create jobs, sorely needed tax revenue, and possess a number of patient protections that simply don’t exist in other states with similar laws." Pat Hall, who represents the Oklahoma State Medical Association which opposes the initiative, said, "State Question 788, in the opinion of the Oklahoma State Medical Association, is not medical marijuana. It is recreational marijuana.” Learn more         Five more updates on ballot measures from across the country With many state sessions coming to a close in the coming weeks, the ballot measure certification landscape is heating up. Five things you need to know about news around the country. Signatures were submitted for $12 minimum wage initiative in Missouri on May 2, 2018. Signatures were submitted for Medicaid expansion and instant horse racing initiatives in Idaho on May 1, 2018. The first statewide measures were certified for the ballot in New Hampshire since 2012: the right to privacy from the government amendment and the taxpayer standing to sue the government amendment. U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), and Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) contributed to the campaign for a California initiative to repeal the gas tax passed in April 2017 and require voter approval of future gas taxes Update according to May 3 unofficial signature verification report in Utah: the medical marijuana and direct primary elections initiatives have met both the total requirement and the district requirements; and the independent redistricting commission and Medicaid expansion initiatives have met the total requirement, but not the requirement in the necessary 26 senate districts. Signatures are still being verified, and the lieutenant governor is expected to review the signature petitions and announce the official status of the initiatives by June 1. How popular is your governor? America's five most popular governors are all Republicans up for re-election this year, according to a gubernatorial approval poll conducted by Morning Consult. The poll, which is released on a quarterly basis, measures the approval ratings of governors in all 50 states. Charlie Baker (R-MA) - 71 percent Larry Hogan (R-MD) - 68 percent Kay Ivey (R-AL) - 67 percent Phil Scott (R-VT) - 65 percent Chris Sununu (R-NH) - 63 percent The five governors with the lowest approval rating include one Democrat, three Republicans, and one independent governor. Although gubernatorial elections are being held this year in all five governors' states, two are not seeking re-election. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin (R) is term-limited and Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy (D) chose not to run. Dan Malloy (D-CT) - 21 percent Mary Fallin (R-OK) - 25 percent Bruce Rauner (R-IL) - 26 percent Bill Walker (I-AK) - 29 percent Jeff Colyer (R-KS) - 34 percent   Learn more→    Ballotpedia depends on the support of our readers. The Lucy Burns Institute, publisher of Ballotpedia, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible to the extent of the law. Donations to the Lucy Burns Institute or Ballotpedia do not support any candidates or campaigns. Please click here to support our work→ Follow on Twitter   Friend on Facebook