Oklahoma could soon see a new product on the market and interested business owners are looking to cash in.
State question 788 would legalize marijuana for medical purposes if it passes in June.
A conference on Saturday aimed to show examples of what the plant is capable of.
“I think the hardest thing is that cannabis is only about getting high and smoking joints,” the co-founder of the event Dasheeda Dawson said.
Dawson is one of the founders of the Cannabis Education Advocacy Symposium and Expo, or CEASE.
She said she’s heard from clients who are interested in getting these kinds of businesses started in Oklahoma.
“What we thought would be the best option would be to improve the type of education that’s offered and in a state like Oklahoma it was imperative to do so,” Dawson said.
There were several speakers that talked about the different areas where cannabis is beneficial.
Former state senator and gubernatorial candidate Connie Johnson was the keynote speaker. She said this would be positive for the state’s prison system, economy and health care.
“I think more opportunities to educate people about facts and evidence vs. paranoia and reefer madness is what we have to do,” Johnson said.
She said this is something Oklahoma will show its support for legalizing and that’s why there’s a need for this education.
“I think it’s going to be overwhelmingly passed,” Johnson said. “I think we passed (state question) 780 by 72-percent, some high number.”
Johnson said events like this do a lot for getting momentum for the law.
The vote for making medical marijuana legal will be on June 26.
