Oklahoma marijuana

Recreational cannabis won’t be legal in Oklahoma.

Voters are just days away from deciding whether Oklahoma will legalize recreational marijuana. But results of similar ballot initiatives in Arkansas and Missouri could help predict the fate of State Question 820.

When Oklahoma voters passed State Question 788 in 2018, things were a little chaotic. People had questions about how pot businesses would grow in the market. And with very little regulation, the number of marijuana businesses exploded. By 2020, Oklahoma had more businesses licensed to sell pot than any other state in the country.

Loopholes in state residency requirements have led to an influx of out-of-state investment through ‘ghost owners.’

Since Oklahomans passed medical marijuana in 2018, 8,630 growers have opened in the state, serving nearly 10% of the state’s population with medical marijuana licenses. The rapid expansion is stressing rural electric and water infrastructure.

A new medical marijuana law recently took effect in Oklahoma, regulating product labeling and drug testing policies. But since cannabis remains illegal...

Changes to Oklahoma’s medical marijuana program will go into effect after August 29th, following new regulations passed by lawmakers earlier this year.