A new Oklahoma law that took effect Nov. 1 makes it illegal for anyone inside a vehicle to use marijuana, regardless of whether they are the driver or a passenger. Under the new regulations, medical marijuana is treated similarly to alcohol in a motor vehicle.
The rules introduce three major changes for Oklahomans on the road. Lawmakers say the stricter regulations close loopholes that previously made enforcement difficult for police. One of the most significant shifts involves accountability: Law enforcement officials are warning drivers that they will be held responsible if a passenger is in violation.
“Even though they may not be actively smoking a joint in their hand, if marijuana is being smoked in the vehicle, they could be arrested. So, it is their responsibility to make sure that that is not happening,” said Lt. Mark Southall with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
Additionally, all marijuana products must now be kept in a sealed container and stored out of reach of the driver, such as in a trunk, to avoid “open container” penalties.
“Cannabis can’t be inside the vehicle without being sealed or out of reach of the driver,” said Southall.
Law enforcement officials also warned that the stricter regulations apply to everyone, regardless of whether they possess a medical marijuana card.
“Just because you have a marijuana card does not give you the ability to, quote unquote, treat yourself as you’re driving down the road, because you’re under the influence,” said Southall.
In 2024, the National Transportation Safety Board issued a safety alert following the final report on a 2022 collision that killed six teenagers in Tishomingo. NTSB investigators determined the 16-year-old driver, likely impaired by recent marijuana use, failed to stop at a stop sign and turned left in front of an oncoming semitrailer.
“These are arrestable. We want people to take this seriously. And luckily the legislature is behind us on this, with more teeth to this law, to where we can enforce it. And people can really start to take it seriously,” said Southall.
