Anti-pot activists celebrated their win over a better-funded opponent – dubbed the “big cannabis” – on Wednesday after Oklahomans strongly opposed plans to legalize recreational cannabis in the state.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, anti-marijuana activist Kevin Sabet and others hailed the results of Tuesday’s ballot initiative, in which voters 61.7 percent to 38.3 percent defeated legalization efforts.
Sabet, a former White House drug czar who now heads the Smart Approaches to Marijuana campaign, called the victory a victory for “public safety and common sense,” despite the spending power of the $32 billion cannabis sector.
“Industry cannot buy votes and benefit from our children,” Sabet said.
‘Although they spent way too much [campaigners] has worked tirelessly to educate voters about the unintended consequences of legalization, which have ranged from more cases of disabled drivers and workplace accidents to higher youth usage rates.’
Oklahoma voters have joined Alabama and North and South Dakota in opposing plans to legalize recreational cannabis
A cannabis dispensary in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma where adults can stock up on a medical marijuana license
The “no” side from Sabet and others was handed out more than 20 to 1, with supporters of the initiative spending more than $4.9 million, compared with about $219,000 against it, last-minute financial reports show.
Stitt, a Republican, said rejecting the ballot initiative known as the 820 was the “best thing to do to protect our children,” and he vowed to “hold evil actors to account and crack down on illegal marijuana operations.”
Oklahoma would have become the 22nd state to legalize adult use of cannabis, joining conservative states like Montana and Missouri that have passed similar proposals in recent years.
Still, Oklahoma joins the list of red states that have recently resisted the legalization wave — last year voters in Arkansas, North Dakota, and South Dakota rejected their own legalization ballots.
Governor Stitt had the support of many Republican lawmakers and almost every GOP senator to oppose the idea. Former Republican Gov. Frank Keating, a former FBI agent, and Terri White, a former Oklahoma drug and mental health chief, led the “no” campaign.
Oklahoma voters approved medical marijuana by 14 percentage points in 2018, and the state has one of the most liberal programs in the country, with more than 2,800 licensed dispensaries and about 10 percent of adults licensed to purchase and use the drug.
“Industry can’t buy votes,” says Kevin Sabet
State Question 820, the result of a signature drive last year, was the only item on the statewide vote, and early results showed fierce opposition in rural areas, with every county in the state opposing the idea.
If passed, the proposal would have allowed anyone over the age of 21 to purchase and possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana, as well as concentrates and marijuana-infused products such as gummies.
Recreational sales would have been subject to an excise tax of 15 percent on top of the standard sales tax. The excise tax would be used to fund the court system, schools, drug abuse treatment, and other public funds.
The low barriers to entry in Oklahoma’s medical marijuana industry have resulted in a glut of growers, processors, and dispensary operators competing for a limited number of customers.
James Smith, president of the Oklahoma Association of Chiefs of Police, spoke at a rally earlier this month against the legalization of cannabis as part of a last-minute push by religious and police groups
A vendor displays marijuana flowers at an Oklahoma City dispensary that has been swamped with medical marijuana stores in recent years
The above shows cannabis use across American states. Twenty-one states and DC have legalized it for recreational use in addition to medicinal use, while nearly all now allow medicinal use.
Supporters had hoped the state’s marijuana industry would be buoyed by a rush of out-of-state customers, particularly from Texas, where nearly 8 million people live nearby across the Oklahoma border.
Yes on 820 campaign director Michelle Tilley said despite the outcome, full legalization of marijuana is inevitable. She noted that nearly 400,000 Oklahomans already use marijuana legally and “many thousands more” use it illegally.
“A two-tier system where one group of Oklahomans are free to use this product and the other are treated like criminals doesn’t make logical sense,” she said in a statement.
The US legal cannabis market generated $26.1 billion in net sales last year and is on track to reach $44.5 billion in sales by 2027, driven by the massive markets in California, New Jersey and New York, according to research firm BDSA.
Sabet said the results were “against all odds” given “how deep the tentacles of the marijuana industry have gotten” in Oklahoma, which has more medical marijuana dispensaries than Colorado — famed for its burgeoning cannabis sector.
Pat McFerron, a Republican political strategist who led the opposition campaign, said the results were a “clear signal that voters are unhappy with the recreational nature of our medical system.”
“It shows voters recognize the criminal aspects and the need to address the state’s mental health needs,” McFerron added.
Voters in Maryland and Missouri in November approved ballot measures to legalize recreational marijuana, bringing the number of states with such laws to 21 — though it remains illegal under federal law.
Experts have warned of America’s rapid shift to legalized marijuana amid mounting evidence that widespread availability is leading to increased use, particularly among young people, along with addiction and mental health issues.
The annual survey by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) last August found that the number of under-30s using marijuana hit record levels in 2021 — which the agency’s chief Dr. Nora Volkow, described as “worrying”.
The $32 billion cannabis industry argues that ingesting the drug — either smoked, vaped, or as an edible — can help combat anxiety or depression, chronic pain, and even addiction.
The US Cannabis Council, a major lobby group, says legalization is widely supported, pot is safe, and can help addicts overcome opioid and alcohol addiction.
But in states where cannabis has been legalized, many parents say their children have been sucked into a spiral of addiction.
What are the health risks of marijuana?
According to official estimates, around 48 million Americans smoke cannabis at least once a year.
Marijuana is the third most commonly used drug in the United States after alcohol and tobacco.
That number is increasing as states continue to legalize the drug.
21 US states have legalized the drug for adult recreational use.
But there’s also growing evidence of its health risks, especially for young adults.
Researchers suspect that it has the following negative effects:
- Brain Damage: It can lead to permanent IQ loss as it hampers brain development and could even have permanent cognitive effects in young adults;
- Mental health: It has been linked to increased suicide rates, as well as psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety, although it’s unclear if marijuana is the cause;
- Everyday Life: Polls link it to more problems in careers and maintaining healthy relationships;
- Driving: Those who drive under the influence of alcohol have slower reactions and less coordination, research shows.
Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration.