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VOTE FOR STATE QUESTION 820 ON MARCH 7TH, 2023
Oklahoma State Question 820
State Question 820 will safely regulate and tax marijuana for adults 21+ in Oklahoma. It will generate millions of dollars in new funding for important priorities like schools, health care, and public safety. State Question 820 will also enact common sense criminal justice reforms, like expungement, so one small mistake doesn't ruin someone's life.
Our measure is a responsible and conservative approach to legalization tailored to Oklahoma, State Question 820 carefully balances personal freedom with responsible regulation. Products will be lab-tested, labeled, tracked from seed-to-sale; and employers will be able to maintain a drug-free workplace.
Top 10 Reasons to Pass State Question 820 and Legalize Cannabis for Adults.
SQ 820 will generate millions of dollars in new state funding and government revenue.
State Question 820 proposes a 15% sales tax on marijuana to fund critical programs. It will increase revenue for schools, healthcare, public safety, and other vital priorities for Oklahomans.
SQ 820 offers common sense criminal justice reform, like expungement.
State Question 820 offers future and retroactive criminal justice reforms. It eliminates incarceration for minor marijuana possession. It allows individuals to be resentenced or have their records expunged retroactively for low-level marijuana crimes that would no longer be illegal.
SQ 820 will create jobs and generate economic development.
State Question 820 will create jobs and increase economic development by supporting our local businesses already here. Legalization creates jobs and supports states' economic growth in many different ways. In fact, 4 of the 5 states with the highest GDP per capita have taxed and regulated cannabis for adults.
SQ 820 protects public health and safety.
State Question 820 protects the health and safety of Oklahomans. Products will be tested, safe, and only available to adults aged 21 and older (unless you have a medical marijuana card). Each product will be analyzed to determine potency and screened for unsafe contaminants. All marijuana and related products will be tracked, traced, and accurately labeled in an inventory system from seed to sale.
The current law can ruin lives based on one mistake.
If a person makes one minor mistake with marijuana, they can land in jail and be saddled with a life-long criminal record, making it hard to get a job, an apartment, student loans, or a credit card. This law will prevent unnecessary arrests and allow people to clean their records.
SQ 820 will protect and benefit local Oklahoma businesses.
Initially, only existing medical marijuana businesses, who have been operational for a year, can apply for a recreational business license. This will give Oklahoma companies a competitive edge against big out-of-state
corporations and allow state regulators to build the new program by working with experienced local operators who have a vested interest in our state.
The current approach of prohibition wastes precious public resources.
In states that have legalized, arrests for simple marijuana offenses are down 70 to 90 percent — freeing up time and money for the state to focus on more serious issues. Fewer arrests also mean our courts aren't clogged with petty marijuana cases.
Marijuana legalization is working in other states.
Eighteen other states, including Montana and Arizona, have legalized marijuana for adults. In those states, licensed marijuana businesses must follow regulations and pay taxes. Stores check IDs, and laboratories test products to ensure safety. Residents in regulated states overwhelmingly like the new policy, and no state that's passed legalization has repealed their law and reinstated prohibition.
Our measure is a responsible and sensible approach to legalization.
State Question 820 will create a sensible program tailored to Oklahoma, carefully balancing personal freedom with responsible regulation. Products will be tested, labeled, and tracked from seed-to-sale; employers will be able to maintain a drug-free workplace; and allows for expundgement and other criminal justice reforms.
Because it is the right thing to do.
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