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Oklahoma says no to weed

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Voters in Oklahoma on Tuesday rejected a measure to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, a defeat that marks a significant setback for the marijuana legalization movement.

The defeat came five years after state voters approved the drug for medical purposes. Oklahoma, one of the more conservative states in the country, would have been the 22nd state to allow recreational use of marijuana.

 

 

In November, voters in five states considered similar measures. Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota voted no, while Maryland and Missouri voted yes.

Oklahoma’s State Question 820 would have allowed adults over the age of 21 to buy marijuana from licensed sellers and established a tax on the proceeds. It also would have permitted some marijuana-related convictions to be expunged.

 

The measure faced opposition from Republican lawmakers, including U.S. Sen. James Lankford and Gov. Kevin Stitt. Lankford urged Oklahomans to vote no, saying the state had already seen marijuana use skyrocket, “hurting our communities and families.”