Okla. medical marijuana backers seek public vote

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – An initiative petition that would permit the sale and cultivation of medical marijuana has been filed with the Oklahoma secretary of state’s office.

A Tulsa-based group known as Oklahomans for Health filed the petition Friday for a statewide vote. Supporters will have 90 days from the petition’s filing or after the petition is deemed sufficient by the state Supreme Court, whichever is later, to collect 155,216 voter signatures needed to get it on the ballot.

The petition, State Question 768, calls for a constitutional amendment to classify marijuana as an herbal drug regulated by the Health Department for use in certain medical conditions, including cancer.

Oklahoma lawmakers have rejected legislation to regulate and tax marijuana similar to guidelines in Colorado.