The League of Women Voters of Oklahoma announced Thursday support for State Question 788, which legalizes the licensed use, sale and growth of medical marijuana for medical purposes.
The organization says it reached this decision after a summit of experts held in Stroud, Oklahoma on March 3.
“State Question 788 is in keeping with the policies of LWVOK, which arise from studies and discussions with medical and legal experts as well as members state-wide. LWVOK supports the decriminalization of marijuana and believes that states should be permitted to decide for themselves whether it should be legalized or not. The League believes that any drug should be legal if it is deemed by medical professionals to have therapeutic benefits. And the League advocates for the reclassification of marijuana from Schedule One to a more appropriate classification that will permit research into its effects and uses,” the group said in a statement.
The League of Women Voters of Oklahoma said the question uses broad language and the government will have to take certain measures to ensure safety and fairness when licensing. The group also said the mechanics of implementing the law must be carefully considers.
Voters will have the opportunity to vote on this question June 26th. The question also proposes a seven percent tax on the sale of medical marijuana.
You can read the full statement below:
“Following a summit of experts held in Stroud, Oklahoma on March 3, the League of Women Voters of Oklahoma has adopted a position in support of State Question 788, which legalizes the licensed use, sale, and growth of marijuana in Oklahoma for medical purposes. On June 26th, voters will have the opportunity to vote on this state question, which also proposes a 7% tax on the sale of medical marijuana.
“State Question 788 is in keeping with the policies of LWVOK, which arise from studies and discussions with medical and legal experts as well as members state-wide. LWVOK supports the decriminalization of marijuana and believes that states should be permitted to decide for themselves whether it should be legalized or not. The League believes that any drug should be legal if it is deemed by medical professionals to have therapeutic benefits. And the League advocates for the reclassification of marijuana from Schedule One to a more appropriate classification that will permit research into its effects and uses.
“We acknowledge that the question uses broad language and that the government will have to take measures to ensure safety and fairness in licensing. As this is a new area of law, not only for Oklahoma but for other states, the mechanics of implementing this law must be carefully considered. Oklahoma legislators and the voters they represent must weigh the medical, social, economic and policy factors, be they direct or indirect, that must be considered when doing the hard work of implementing this law.
The LWVOK calls on all Oklahomans to be sure they are registered to vote in the primaries on June 26th and urges them to vote Yes on SQ 788.”
