Oklahoma voters will decide on Tuesday whether to pass State Question 778 (SQ778), which would open the door to medical cannabis access across the state, according to a NORML news release.
SQ778 — which would let doctors recommend and prescribe medical cannabis for any condition, using their discretion — has been praised by cannabis advocates for allowing doctors, not politicians, decide how and when medical cannabis would be effective. The initiative would also establish infrastructure for licensed cannabis producers, processors, and retailers and would allow patients to grow up to six plants at home.
“This measure is one of the broadest, most patient-centric medical marijuana initiatives ever placed on a statewide ballot.” — NORML statement, in the release
Opponents of the initiative recently took to the airwaves, sinking nearly a half-million dollars into television advertisements claiming that the proposal is de-facto recreational legalization and is not restrictive enough. Polling data from May, however, suggests that Oklahoma voters favor SQ778 with nearly a 2:1 margin.
Oklahoma’s existing cannabis laws remain some of the strictest in the country; possession of any amount of cannabis is a criminal offense punishable by up to a year in prison, while the cultivation or distribution of cannabis could land an individual in prison for life. Recent data suggests that Oklahoma’s incarceration rate — 1,079 in 100,000 — is the highest in the country.
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