Oklahoma Says ‘No’ to Legalization of Recreational Weed
After voters approved marijuana use for medical purposes five years ago, the state built a network of 12,000 businesses and hundreds of thousands of registered patients.
Cesar Olmedo/Reuters
Voters in Oklahoma on Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected a ballot initiative that would have legalized recreational marijuana usage, drawing a clear line in the sand after approving its medical usage five years ago. The Associated Press projected the defeat, with 63 percent of voters saying “no” and roughly 90 percent of ballots counted. If the measure had passed, Oklahoma would have become the 22nd state in the country to allow cannabis’ recreational use, joining other conservative states like Missouri, which approved it in November alongside Maryland, while voters in Arkansas, South Dakota, and North Dakota all shouted it down at the polls. Since being approved in 2018, the state’s popular medical marijuana program has swelled to include some 12,000 businesses. Roughly 10 percent of the state’s adult population have medical marijuana cards, according to the AP. In a statement after Tuesday’s vote, Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) said, “I remain committed to protecting Oklahomans and my administration will continue to hold bad actors accountable and crack down on illegal marijuana operations in our state.”
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