Yes I admit I was wrong on that assumption. The turnout was not as strong.

Yes I admit I was wrong on that assumption. The turnout was not as strong.

Yeah, I just think people just did not know about it, it should have been on the ballot in the general election and it would have been a much stronger turnout but honestly, I think it would have still failed though

Massive fail by the yes on 820 committee. Hardly any advertising. No explaining the major differences between this and 788. Basically ignoring print media in their advertising for this is almost criminal.

Massive fail by the yes on 820 committee. Hardly any advertising. No explaining the major differences between this and 788. Basically ignoring print media in their advertising for this is almost criminal.

Which is nuts, because from what I read there was a fair amount of money coming into the Yes campaign from out of state groups (such as justice reform orgs).

The fact the election was delayed until March had almost nothing whatsoever to do with the loss. A quick glance at the precinct and county results and comparing them to 2018 would show you that; large percentages of people who voted yes in 2018 are voting no this time. This question is getting OBLITERATED. Larger turnout *might* have improved the vote margin for yes by 2 points, but it would still be destroyed.

People who make the “delayed vote” argument simply don’t understand why people voted no and apparently don’t want to. It’s easier to make the simplistic argument. Read the politico article that was posted earlier. It’s a good examination of the nuances. The reporter interviews people who supported medical marijuana in 2018 and even some current dispensary owners who are opposed to 820 for a variety of reasons. None of them have to do with “the election was delayed until March.” The fact is it didn’t have the support in large part due to rural opposition (hell, it’s barely winning the cities and ultimately may not.

The idea that having the election in November would have made the difference, when Kevin Stitt absolutely demolished his opponent on the strength of rural Oklahoma voter support, which is the same constituency killing this SQ, is hilarious.

Exactly. When it was on the ballot simply wasnt going to make a difference. It was a blowout.


The nice thing about this election result is that it makes me more excited about moving out of state.

Umm ok. Guess you missed we overwhelmingly passed the most permissive medical MJ measure a few years ago. But I guess this makes us backwards again?


The Bible Belt is not ready for recreational marijuana, plain and simple. That's why it failed in Arkansas. That's why it failed in Oklahoma.

Then what do you say about Missouri passing recreational. These takes are way over-generalized and dont consider any nuance.


Massive fail by the yes on 820 committee. Hardly any advertising. No explaining the major differences between this and 788. Basically ignoring print media in their advertising for this is almost criminal.

It obviously wouldnt have mattered. They coulda spent $5 million more and wouldnt have made a difference.

I do wonder if they had a separate question about the expungement of old mmj related crimes would have passed. I could see more people being a yes on that.

But I was close to right with 60 - 40 No winning!

Maybe in 10 years? I really doubt they will bring it back on the ballot next year since it failed in a landslide

Earliest it can be back on the ballot is three years using the same criteria for inclusion on yesterday's ballot. If they want to bring it back earlier than '26, they have to get the number of signatures equal to half the number of total votes for the governor in the last election, or some such complicated qualification. Those are the two pathways.

Earliest it can be back on the ballot is three years using the same criteria for inclusion on yesterday's ballot. If they want to bring it back earlier than '26, they have to get the number of signatures equal to half the number of total votes for the governor in the last election, or some such complicated qualification. Those are the two pathways.

I did not know that, thank you for that

Yes, a lot of people didn't even know it was going on. Poor advertisement for the pro campaign. I mean if you don't watch the local news or local channels you wouldn't have known about it.
Also the votes they needed from the younger demographic of users don't watch the news, lol.

I feel like the vibe in my corners was, "we are content with the current system". That's fair.

Oklahoma just blows every chance it gets to improve itself. Oklahoma is so well positioned to rake in money from Texas it had such a good opportunity. They lost the Panasonic deal. They could’ve taxed O&G companies just a little bit more during the last oil and gas boom back in the early 2010s.

This was also purposely sabotage by the governor. It failed because voters especially in Oklahoma are too lazy to vote or care.

Maybe in 10 years? I really doubt they will bring it back on the ballot next year since it failed in a landslide

Yeah, 10 years is how long it may take for enough Oklahomans to get over stigmatizing marijuana with hard, deadly illegal drugs, such as heroin and cocaine. We'll get an indication that is happening when penalties for illegal sales of marijuana to minors become similar to marijuana. For now, sales of alcohol to minors maxes out to $5,000 fine and 5 years in prison. For selling marijuana to a minor 4 years to LIFE with up to $40,000 fine. I'd be far more alarmed to see several teens passing around a big bottle of Everclear than passing a joint. But who knows how many voting Oklahomans would say it's no different.

Oklahoma just blows every chance it gets to improve itself. Oklahoma is so well positioned to rake in money from Texas it had such a good opportunity. They lost the Panasonic deal. They could’ve taxed O&G companies just a little bit more during the last oil and gas boom back in the early 2010s.

This was also purposely sabotage by the governor. It failed because voters especially in Oklahoma are too lazy to vote or care.

No. For starters, give Oklahoma credit for expanding Medicaid, even though rural Oklahoma nearly defeated it. Alcohol laws were modernized. And of course, SQ788 was approved in a once in a lifetime legendary story of political activism. That only around $30,000 was raised to get enough signatures for a pro marijuana petition when most other places needed millions for theirs is a part of that legend. The story of how SQ788 got implemented in wild west ways was probably also legendary.

It didn't help that lies were told about SQ820. It's too long at 256 pages. The truth was that it is only 16 pages. The rest of the 256 pages were related to the petition itself not the regulations. 6 pages were about the protest that the notorious Paul Tay filed. His nonsense was that signatures taken on tribal land are invalid.

Oklahoma just blows every chance it gets to improve itself. Oklahoma is so well positioned to rake in money from Texas it had such a good opportunity. They lost the Panasonic deal. They could’ve taxed O&G companies just a little bit more during the last oil and gas boom back in the early 2010s.

This was also purposely sabotage by the governor. It failed because voters especially in Oklahoma are too lazy to vote or care.

You need to calm down!
You’re being too loud!

-Taylor Swift

Umm ok. Guess you missed we overwhelmingly passed the most permissive medical MJ measure a few years ago. But I guess this makes us backwards again?

I lived in Springfield, Missouri for a year, right on the edge of the Ozarks. It's the only place in the world I've ever seen someone drive a truck with an honest-to-God Nazi flag on it down the street in broad daylight.

And they have recreational marijuana before us.

I do wonder if they had a separate question about the expungement of old mmj related crimes would have passed. I could see more people being a yes on that.

But I was close to right with 60 - 40 No winning!

Good question probably the most important part of sq820. Simple possession had been over criminalized. To the point of abuse by the system

Having the ballot in November would not have changed the outcome since it was a massive defeat

Good question probably the most important part of sq820. Simple possession had been over criminalized. To the point of abuse by the system

how many of the guilty simple possession pleas? are deals after originally having bigger charges??

Having the ballot in November would not have changed the outcome since it was a massive defeat

no necessarily true. the only thing we do know is that the turnout would have been much greater had it been on the November ballot. you are making an assumption as to who those people would have voted.

what we do know is that 556,004 people voted Tuesday and it lost by a difference of 132,238 votes. there were an additional 586,158 who voted in November election. now yes, that means that if all if all of the same people in that 556,004 also voted in November (which is still an assumption), then 7% of that remaining 586,158 would have needed to vote in favor of it. so it does appear that it probably would not have passed. But that is not a guarantee as there are many assumptions that have to be made to come to that conclusion. i believe that there is probably right around 80% certainty that it would have failed in November. but no one can know for sure.

there is also the assumption that could have been made that had it been on the November Ballot, the voter turnout for November could have potentially been much greater and a different demographic.

And I'm sure there is a certain percentage of voters who hasn't voted since SQ788 was originally passed. The whole sunk cost fallacy, They already invested time and money getting their medical card. They got what they wanted, screw all the issues in world.

There is also going to be a certain percentage of people who opposed 820, but knew it really change anything if they bothered to show up to vote. The things they don't like about cannabis still would have existed.

Although I can't read the article, I'm glad to hear that AG Drummond is interested in revisiting expunging the low-level offenses that 820 would have addressed.

https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/marijuana/hope-for-marijuana-legal-reform-remains-despite-failed-pot-question/article_baa5d282-bdca-11ed-bec7-0fd7832858f6.html

I'm guessing this mostly came down to a reaction to the way medical was implemented and many voters just felt that a 'Yes' vote would compound any problems they perceive about the current cannabis industry in the state, instead of seeing it as a way to address those concerns. I imagine if the restrictions the SQ included were emphasized along with the potential expansion of resources for regulation, it could have passed.

But I'm not even sure what the Yes campaign focused on, because, outside of a few signs in the last week or so, I didn't see any campaigning. I just get the feeling that most voters, especially No voters, didn't consider anything beyond voting on the availability of cannabis without a medical card, but maybe the Yes campaign felt that would be enough to win.

Did it even get the number of yes votes as the number of signatures the petition got?

I lived in Springfield, Missouri for a year, right on the edge of the Ozarks. It's the only place in the world I've ever seen someone drive a truck with an honest-to-God Nazi flag on it down the street in broad daylight.

And they have recreational marijuana before us.

I see confederate flags at least every other day but I have yet to see that. So maybe we’re not so backward as that. Was this in an actual city with a decent diverse population or Hicksville where that crap flies?

Did it even get the number of yes votes as the number of signatures the petition got?

Substantially more. They gathered ~164,000 signatures.

Substantially more. They gathered ~164,000 signatures.

i mean it only got 216,883 votes... so just a little over 50k more.. i wouldn't call that substantially more.

i mean it only got 216,883 votes... so just a little over 50k more.. i wouldn't call that substantially more.

So it got ~32% more votes than the total signatures? I’d call that substantial, but you define as you like.

So it got ~32% more votes than the total signatures? I’d call that substantial, but you define as you like.

Definitely not substantial. The voter turn out to vote yes was pathetic.

I just checked and it looks like as of late summer 2021, there was almost 370K residents that had been issued a medical card. That number is likely over 500K now.

It would be interesting to see the percentage of current cardholders that went and voted YES for rec. Many of them are likely content with their current status.

To me, everything points to the YES campaign tactics as really sucky.

Although I can't read the article, I'm glad to hear that AG Drummond is interested in revisiting expunging the low-level offenses that 820 would have addressed.

https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/marijuana/hope-for-marijuana-legal-reform-remains-despite-failed-pot-question/article_baa5d282-bdca-11ed-bec7-0fd7832858f6.html

I like the sound of this, hopefully we can keep up the progress on the justice side of the issue.

I just checked and it looks like as of late summer 2021, there was almost 370K residents that had been issued a medical card. That number is likely over 500K now.

It would be interesting to see the percentage of current cardholders that went and voted YES for rec. Many of them are likely content with their current status.

To me, everything points to the YES campaign tactics as really sucky.

Yup, I'm not even mad at the people who voted No. The pro cannabis population of the state & the organizers of 820 are who deserves the blame in this.

Wife has a card and we both voted yes. Reason being that she wouldn't have to go through the hassle and cost of renewal every 2 years.

Wife has a card and we both voted yes. Reason being that she wouldn't have to go through the hassle and cost of renewal every 2 years.

would be interested to know how if the massive about of additional tax would have made you reconsider that at some point

would be interested to know how if the massive about of additional tax would have made you reconsider that at some point

Doubtful. She never shops for product based on cost. Or buys that much. Entirely edibles. She will go to a dispensary based on if they carry what she wants to buy. You might be surprised on the different inventories they stock or they will stock something she likes then run out and never stock it again. Cost of the product is the least of our worries.

Doubtful. She never shops for product based on cost. Or buys that much. Entirely edibles. She will go to a dispensary based on if they carry what she wants to buy. You might be surprised on the different inventories they stock or they will stock something she likes then run out and never stock it again. Cost of the product is the least of our worries.

Yea, I do think there should be a 5-year option on the cards. Two years roll by awfully quick, imo.

I see confederate flags at least every other day but I have yet to see that. So maybe we’re not so backward as that. Was this in an actual city with a decent diverse population or Hicksville where that crap flies?

It was at the corner of National Avenue and Cherry Street in Springfield, right by the Missouri State campus. Population was 151,580 at the time, so slightly bigger than Norman is now. (I'm guessing it was someone from Hicksville trying to stir up trouble in town, but...)

Wonder if anything will happen with this: https://www.route-fifty.com/public-safety/2023/03/democrats-plan-take-another-pass-cannabis-banking-bill/383711/

Wonder if anything will happen with this: https://www.route-fifty.com/public-safety/2023/03/democrats-plan-take-another-pass-cannabis-banking-bill/383711/
No, something like that will never pass for as long as the Feds still refuse to legalize marijuana at the Federal level.

No, something like that will never pass for as long as the Feds still refuse to legalize marijuana at the Federal level.

they just need to make it a purely state issue ..

they just need to make it a purely state issue ..

Haven't they? I mean, they are letting states legalize weed, and even mushrooms in some states. The only bad thing is that veterans or those who use the VA or other federal healthcare can't use it.

no necessarily true. the only thing we do know is that the turnout would have been much greater had it been on the November ballot. you are making an assumption as to who those people would have voted.

what we do know is that 556,004 people voted Tuesday and it lost by a difference of 132,238 votes. there were an additional 586,158 who voted in November election. now yes, that means that if all if all of the same people in that 556,004 also voted in November (which is still an assumption), then 7% of that remaining 586,158 would have needed to vote in favor of it. so it does appear that it probably would not have passed. But that is not a guarantee as there are many assumptions that have to be made to come to that conclusion. i believe that there is probably right around 80% certainty that it would have failed in November. but no one can know for sure.

there is also the assumption that could have been made that had it been on the November Ballot, the voter turnout for November could have potentially been much greater and a different demographic.

You are probably right but I do wish they would put it on the November ballot so we would have found out if it would have passed or not with a larger turnout

Haven't they? I mean, they are letting states legalize weed, and even mushrooms in some states. The only bad thing is that veterans or those who use the VA or other federal healthcare can't use it.

kind of but not really with just different leadership decisions the FBI could raid every dispensary in the united states .. and the FBI could raid and charge every land lord bank ect that does business with weed business ..

it is still very much illegal everywhere in the united states ..

You are probably right but I do wish they would put it on the November ballot so we would have found out if it would have passed or not with a larger turnout

Rec will probably never be on a November ballot again and always stand alone. We still have a good med. marijuana program, if we can keep it. I won't be surprised if a petition comes out for a vote to abolish it with a constitutional amendment. Hopefully, the sponsors won't be able to find funding to hire enough paid signature takers. Hopefully, my concerns are unwarranted.

Medical marijuana keeps Oklahoma from getting additional revenue from people from other states. Texans can't get a marijuana card, as far as I know, so Oklahoma is crippling itself

Medical marijuana keeps Oklahoma from getting additional revenue from people from other states. Texans can't get a marijuana card, as far as I know, so Oklahoma is crippling itself

I'm not sure we're "crippling" much, but there is probably at least some revenue we're missing out on.

Medical marijuana keeps Oklahoma from getting additional revenue from people from other states. Texans can't get a marijuana card, as far as I know, so Oklahoma is crippling itself

This ^^^. What a money generator it would be if Texans were allowed to buy in Oklahoma. Major fail not to regulate it for them.

The only bad thing is that veterans or those who use the VA or other federal healthcare can't use it.

How so? I get the VA won't prescribe it or pay for it, but is there anything preventing veterans or other VA users from getting their medical card and buying it the same way the non-vets get it?

How so? I get the VA won't prescribe it or pay for it, but is there anything preventing veterans or other VA users from getting their medical card and buying it the same way the non-vets get it?

not that i am aware of I use VA heath care and have never been asked a question about this .. . (because of my job i can't partake in any case )

I distinctly remember when parimutuel betting passed for Remington Park largely because of the revenue the State could pass along to public schools. The same promise was made for the lottery. And medical marijuana. Here we are 35 years later and Oklahoma's schools are abhorrent by any measure. Fool me once, twice...but more voluntary taxes for the purpose of improving our schools rings hollow for me.

not that i am aware of I use VA heath care and have never been asked a question about this .. . (because of my job i can't partake in any case )

Since it’s still federally prohibited. The VA won’t prescribe it. We absolutely won’t withhold care in any aspect to someone who has a medical card. That said the VA is very very conscious of opioid use., to the point it can be very tough to maintain long term opioid use. Not a popular opinion with some of those that are in pain.

I distinctly remember when parimutuel betting passed for Remington Park largely because of the revenue the State could pass along to public schools. The same promise was made for the lottery. And medical marijuana. Here we are 35 years later and Oklahoma's schools are abhorrent by any measure. Fool me once, twice...but more voluntary taxes for the purpose of improving our schools rings hollow for me.
They cut they money at the legislature. And claim the cuts are being offset by income from horse racing, lottery, etc.

I distinctly remember when parimutuel betting passed for Remington Park largely because of the revenue the State could pass along to public schools. The same promise was made for the lottery. And medical marijuana. Here we are 35 years later and Oklahoma's schools are abhorrent by any measure. Fool me once, twice...but more voluntary taxes for the purpose of improving our schools rings hollow for me.

I think you already know this, as I don't know of any Oklahomans that don't. But every time there is a 'new revenue stream' adding to the education budget, the budget itself has also been cut. This has been happening for almost two decades now.

2017:
https://www.keranews.org/education/2017-11-30/behind-oklahoma-texas-has-made-deepest-cuts-to-state-education-funding-in-past-decade

Since it’s still federally prohibited. The VA won’t prescribe it. We absolutely won’t withhold care in any aspect to someone who has a medical card. That said the VA is very very conscious of opioid use., to the point it can be very tough to maintain long term opioid use. Not a popular opinion with some of those that are in pain.

ok that was what i thought ..

and fortunately i don't' really have any issues that need opioids .. a few friends of mine do .. and from what they describe it is kind of a pain .. to stay on them ..

They cut they money at the legislature. And claim the cuts are being offset by income from horse racing, lottery, etc.

This isn't true for the lottery. They can't offset it and there are audits every year to confirm this. Just recently in fact they identified where they did offset it and they had to refund it. The reality is that the lottery is just a tiny fraction of the state education budget. Relatively speaking it doesn't generate much money. The folks promising the lottery would fix education funding way overpromised verses the reality of what the lottery has generated.

Recreation failed because as far as the voters are concerned, it's already recreational. Most voters aren't concerned with out of state purchasers. It would have taken the cannabis industry workers to care enough to persuade their clients to vote and vote themselves. If the state had done a better job of regulating the industry then the casual user would probably be inclined to vote for recreational. It shouldn't be so easy to get a card. They also should have restricted how many dispensary/grow licenses are allowed and not allowed them to be put everywhere. Some towns in Colorado restrict them to one street or block. They also should have made licensees much more expensive. Previously anybody with a few thousand dollars could be in the business instantly. The number of out of state workers that came here just to pay a local to get a license for them is absurd. The only residents that bothered to vote are just tired of everything the way it is.

Rec will probably never be on a November ballot again and always stand alone. We still have a good med. marijuana program, if we can keep it. I won't be surprised if a petition comes out for a vote to abolish it with a constitutional amendment. Hopefully, the sponsors won't be able to find funding to hire enough paid signature takers. Hopefully, my concerns are unwarranted.

Yeah I'm starting to wonder if Oklahoma will be the first state to having a thriving legal marijuana market and then lose it due to a revert to "Reefer Madness" thinking. Hopefully that doesn't happen, but just today Stitt alluded that there will be changes coming. If the state of Oklahoma is able to pull the rug out from under the existing market, my hope for the future of legalization on a nationwide scale will become quite a bit dimmer. Other red states and possibly the Federal Government, next time a Republican is in charge, could interpret that as permission for a crackdown.

One of the issues is that over the course of the past year, Fox News has been steadily pushing an anti-legalization narrative, solidifying and strengthening opposition to legal weed among conservatives, especially those who watch Fox News.

Yeah I'm starting to wonder if Oklahoma will be the first state to having a thriving legal marijuana market and then lose it due to a revert to "Reefer Madness" thinking. Hopefully that doesn't happen, but just today Stitt alluded that there will be changes coming. If the state of Oklahoma is able to pull the rug out from under the existing market, my hope for the future of legalization on a nationwide scale will become quite a bit dimmer. Other red states and possibly the Federal Government, next time a Republican is in charge, could interpret that as permission for a crackdown.

One of the issues is that over the course of the past year, Fox News has been steadily pushing an anti-legalization narrative, solidifying and strengthening opposition to legal weed among conservatives, especially those who watch Fox News.

"Reefer Madness".....what does that mean? I guess most folks think legalized marijuana is OK? Try this...

https://www.cdc.gov/marijuana/what-we-know.html

Sounds kind of dangerous to me, but before you say it...yes, alcohol is dangerous also.

I have no problem with medical marijuana for those that need it.

"Reefer Madness".....what does that mean? I guess most folks think legalized marijuana is OK? Try this...

https://www.cdc.gov/marijuana/what-we-know.html

Sounds kind of dangerous to me, but before you say it...yes, alcohol is dangerous also.

I have no problem with medical marijuana for those that need it.

'Reefer Madness' was the public campaign starting in the 1930s to stigmatize and criminalize marijuana. There was a propaganda film in 1936. The campaign worked and is the reason why smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol aren't cultural equivalents and one is considered so much more taboo than the other, even though when you get down to the nitty gritty, there really isn't any reason for that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhQlcMHhF3w

Reefer Madness was reenforced in our culture by Nixon in the late 1960s, in response to the hippie movement, and then by Nancy Reagan and Jerry Falwell in the 1980s.

'Reefer Madness' was the public campaign starting in the 1930s to stigmatize and criminalize marijuana. There was a propaganda film in 1936. The campaign worked and is the reason why smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol aren't cultural equivalents and one is considered so much more taboo than the other, even though when you get down to the nitty gritty, there really isn't any reason for that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhQlcMHhF3w

Reefer Madness was reenforced in our culture by Nixon in the late 1960s, in response to the hippie movement, and then by Nancy Reagan and Jerry Falwell in the 1980s.

Thanks for that....I'm always learning. I find it curious that some folks listened to the CDC so seriously on Covid, yet ignore CDC warnings on things like Marijuana. I guess it's "Selective Reasoning", or the CDC is full of you know what.

Thanks for that....I'm always learning. I find it curious that some folks listened to the CDC so seriously on Covid, yet ignore CDC warnings on things like Marijuana. I guess it's "Selective Reasoning", or the CDC is full of you know what.

this is always interesting ..