Will Oklahoma legalize medical cannabis? Voters decide Tuesday

Oklahoma voters will decide Tuesday whether the Bible Belt state will legalize medical cannabis.

Recent polling found that more than 57% of voters support the measure, but a strong opposition coalition has been mounted in the last few weeks to try to defeat the ballot initiative.

The opposition, which includes the state Medical Association, various law enforcement agencies and business groups, claims the initiative is so open-ended it would be like approving recreational marijuana.

As written, the measure imposes no caps on the number of business licenses and no restrictions on qualifying medical conditions.

But initiative proponent Oklahomans for Health stressed that a physician must recommend medical marijuana to a patient and is “legally and ethically bound” by that decision.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin also expressed concerns about the initiative.

The Republican governor recently said that if the measure passes, she plans to call for a special legislative session to develop a regulatory framework, implying she’d like to see additional restrictions.