Two competing ballot initiatives to legalize recreational marijuana in Oklahoma are in the works after a second petition was filed this week with the Oklahoma secretary of state’s office.
According to The Oklahoman and petition filings, both initiatives call for:
- A 15% excise tax on adult-use marijuana sales.
- The existing Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority to regulate the adult-use and MMJ industry.
But there are key differences as well.
The first petition, the Oklahoma Marijuana Regulation and Right to Use Act, filed last October by the Oklahomans for Responsible Cannabis Action, would be a state constitutional amendment, which is more difficult to change.
It already has been challenged in court, and the state Supreme Court is weighing whether to allow it to proceed.
If it qualifies, it would appear on the ballot as State Question 819.
The petition filed this week is the Adult-use Marijuana Regulation Act, backed by the Washington DC-based New Approach political action committee.
It would change existing state law and could be amended through legislation.
If it qualifies, it will appear on the ballot as State Question 820.
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The signature requirements are lower for a statutory change than they are for a constitutional one.
Proponents of SQ 819 are required to collect 177,957 valid signatures while SQ 820 backers need to collect only 94,910 signatures, The Oklahoman reported.
