Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Legalization, State Question 778 (2016)
| Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Legalization, State Question 778 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Amendment |
| Origin | Citizens |
| Topic | Marijuana |
| Status | Not on the ballot |
| Not on Ballot |
|---|
 |
| This measure was not put on an election ballot |
The Medical Marijuana Legalization, State Question 778 was a constitutional amendment proposed for the Oklahoma ballot on November 8, 2016.
The measure would have legalized medical marijuana under the prescription of a board-certified physician. Marijuana would have been reclassified as an herbal drug and regulated by the Oklahoma State Department of Health.[1]
Tax revenue would have been first used to fund the medical marijuana industry and excess money would have been used to fund education and health services. Local municipalities would have been permitted to impose an additional marijuana sales tax to be used for infrastructure.[1]
A similar measure, State Question 768, failed to collect enough signatures to reach the 2014 ballot.
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title was as follows:[1]
| “ | This measure adds a new Article to the Oklahoma Constitution, Article 31, sections 1.A to 1.G and 2.A. It allows for the classification of marijuana as an herbal drug regulated by the Oklahoma State Department of Health and permits the use of marijuana under the recommendation of a board certified physician. It allows the sale of marijuana to licensed patients by licensed dispensaries; it allows the sale of marijuana to licensed dispensaries by licensed growers. It permits patients to assert medical reasons for using marijuana as a defense to any prosecution involving marijuana. Tax proceeds from sales of marijuana would be allocated first to fund regulatory processes for the medical marijuana purpose. Excess tax income from sales would then be divided with 75% going to the Oklahoma State Department of Education and 25% to the Oklahoma State Department of Health. Additionally, local municipalities may levee an additional tax to be earmarked solely for the construction and repair of public roads. This measure also excludes marijuana containing less than 0.3% THC from the definition of marijuana and reclassifies it as industrial hemp and allows for the growth and commerce thereof when registered with the Oklahoma State Department of Agriculture.[2] | ” |
Constitutional changes
The measure would have added a new article, Article 31, to the Oklahoma Constitution.
Full text
The full text of the measure can be found here.
Support
The campaign behind the initiative was Green the Vote, which had about 700 volunteers.[3]
Arguments in favor
Joshua Lewelling, who co-wrote the petition with Green the Vote President Isaac Caviness, argued:[3]
| “ | I have friends and family who suffer from things like ALS, friends who suffer from seizures. This is very important, this is proven to help those conditions. ... We’re not talking recreational, there's not going to be people running up and down the streets crazy with a joint in their hand, that's not going to happen. This is medical, it takes a doctor's recommendation to do this.[2] | ” |
Path to the ballot
The measure was filed with the secretary of state on August 21, 2015. Supporters needed to collect 123,725 valid signatures by December 29, 2015. This signature requirement amounted to 15 percent of the votes cast for governor in the preceding gubernatorial election, in accordance with state law.
On December 23, 2015, Tulsa World reported Green the Vote had collected about 60,000 signatures. "It is very possible we can make it. I think we are going to be dangerously close," said Isaac Caviness, Green the Vote president.[4]
On December 29, 2015, petitioners submitted six boxes of signatures petitions.[5]
Green the Vote did not collect enough signatures and abandoned the petition.[1]
State profile
| Demographic data for Oklahoma | ||
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 3,907,414 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 68,595 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 73.1% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 7.2% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1.9% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 7.3% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 7.8% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 9.6% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 86.9% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 24.1% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $46,879 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 19.7% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Oklahoma. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Oklahoma
Oklahoma voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
More Oklahoma coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Oklahoma
- United States congressional delegations from Oklahoma
- Public policy in Oklahoma
- Endorsers in Oklahoma
- Oklahoma fact checks
- More...
See also
- Oklahoma 2016 ballot measures
- 2016 ballot measures
- Oklahoma Legislature
- List of Oklahoma ballot measures
- Oklahoma Secretary of State, "Search State Questions"
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Oklahoma Secretary of State, "778," accessed December 23, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 KFOR.com, "Grassroots organization wants Oklahomans to ‘green the vote,’ legalize medical marijuana," August 21, 2015
- ↑ Tulsa World, "Deadline looms for supporters of medical marijuana petition," December 23, 2015
- ↑ Oklahoma Secretary of State, "State Questions Database," accessed February 11, 2016
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