16.7 C
Warsaw
Saturday, July 12, 2025
spot_imgspot_img

Top 5 This Week

spot_img

Related Posts

Oklahoma activists clear hurdle to put marijuana legalization initiative on 2026 ballot after avoiding legal challenges

Oklahoma marijuana activists cleared a procedural obstacle, declaring on Tuesday that the legality ballot initiative they had put forward was not challenged in a specified window.

Oklahomans for Responsible Cannabis Action, or ORCA, announced that signature collection for the marijuana measure to be on the 2026 state ballot will begin on “no later than” August 6.

ORCA reported that there are “still several moving pieces as the Secretary State is finalizing a couple of new forms and signature sheet”. Soon, we’ll provide you with more details.

The group said previously that if there was no legal challenge, they would “work with the Secretary to State this coming week to finish the signature package and set a date for the program.”

Just two months after ORCA re-launched its campaign to end the prohibition of cannabis in California, Governor. Kevin Stitt, a Republican from Virginia, has given final approval to a bill that many fear will hinder future policy reforms led by citizens.

This law adds additional requirements to the “gist” of initiative language on ballots and revises policies for gathering signatures. Petitioners can only collect signatures up to 11.5% of voters registered in one county, and 20.8% for constitutional measures.

 

ORCA founder Jed Green told reporters in May the group would not be dissuaded by the new policy.

Green suggested that getting the ballot proposal filed ahead of the legislature’s vote and governor’s signing of the bill could help ORCA potentially avert challenges associated with the more stringent requirements for initiative summary language. Green said it was deliberate, because the group wanted to “get in line” and file before legislators made a mistake.

Green acknowledged that a hypothetical scenario could arise where the attorney general of the state would contest the proposed language. This “could get messy” But considering that the secretary of state approved the gist of an earlier, 2023 version of the legalization proposal that voters ultimately rejected, Green floated the possibility of bringing him in as a witness in any challenge to defend the legality of the summary.

This is what ORCA’s latest initiative to legalize marijuana would achieve:

  • Adults 21 years and older could purchase up to 8 ounces cannabis to use for their own personal needs. Also, they could grow as many 12 plants as they wanted and keep what was harvested. They would also be allowed to possess up to an ounce of cannabis concentrated.
  • Oklahoma banks will not be penalized for serving state-licensed marijuana businesses, if they accept the proposed amendment to their constitution.
  • Further, this initiative will protect adults who are involved in legal cannabis activities from any negative consequences relating to their “healthcare or housing”, “employment, public aid, public benefits, parental responsibility, educational opportunities, extracurriculars” and “licensing and licensed activity”, including firearm ownership rights and driving licenses.
  • The presence of THC in the system of a person could not be considered as evidence of impairment.
  • Local governments will not be allowed to ban marijuana growing at home and regulations set by them cannot be too burdensome. Additionally, public ordinances prohibiting smoking marijuana in public places could not be stricter than the current tobacco laws.
  • After 60 days, existing medical cannabis dispensaries and any retail licensees would be allowed to begin selling adult products. They could deliver cannabis to adults after 180 days.
  • The state agencies that regulate medical marijuana would also be in charge of the adult market.
  • An excise duty of 10 percent would be levied on products for adult-use. However, the initiative states that only the legislative branch is authorized to lower the tax rate.
  • The state would receive 40% of the revenue, and counties (30%) as well as municipalities (30%) where there were retail sales. Revenues from retail sales in unincorporated jurisdictions would be divided evenly between the general fund (50%) and the counties (50%).
  • The tax on cannabis for patients registered with the Cannabis Registry will be abolished 60 days after it is enacted.
  • Also, it states that state licensed marijuana businesses cannot be prohibited from participating in interstate commerce in the event of a federal change, or court ruling, allowing this activity. The legislature could impose a wholesale tax of up to 3 percent on marijuana exported outside state borders if that were to happen.

ORCA must collect a minimum of 172.993 valid signatures in order to place the ballot.

Green previously said that one of the key differences between the initiative his organization is pushing and the one that failed at the ballot in 2023 is that it accounts for concerns about licensing rules. Green stated that many have criticised the implementation of medical marijuana laws in the state, leading to an explosion of dispensaries.

Meanwhile in Oklahoma, lawmakers in March advanced a bill aimed at protecting gun rights of state-registered medical marijuana patients, although federal law still bars cannabis users from owning firearms regardless of their patient status.

Another state bill filed in January by a GOP legislator would criminalize the use of medical cannabis during pregnancy.

Philip Steffan provided the photo.

MEDCAN24 would not be possible without the support of readers. Please consider making a Patreon monthly pledge if you depend on our cannabis journalism for information.

Popular Articles