Undecided on SQ 788

 


For as long as I’ve been a voter in Oklahoma, I’ve almost always had a clear opinion on any state question on the ballot. But the more I study State Question 788, the marijuana initiative that voters will decide on June 26, the more I find myself genuinely undecided.

Under SQ 788, Oklahoma residents can apply to the Department of Health for a medical marijuana user license. Applicants would pay a $100 fee ($20 for those on Medicare or SoonerCare) and would need approval by a board-certified physician “according to the accepted standards a reasonable and prudent physician would follow when recommending or approving any medication.” SQ 788 would not require a diagnosis of a specific condition for a medical marijuana license.

The most compelling argument in favor of SQ 788 is that for people with certain chronic health conditions, including cancer and childhood epilepsy, marijuana can be helpful in reducing pain and treating nausea and vomiting. Marijuana has few of the side effects associated with other treatment options, and less potential for abuse and addiction compared to alcohol, opioids, and many other prescription drugs.

The problem is that we will be asking doctors to sign off on marijuana licenses, good for two years and unlimited purchases, without regards to any qualifying conditions. Among the 29 states that permit medical marijuana, only California does not specify conditions that qualify a person for access to the drug. Without qualifying conditions and accepted standards for approving marijuana as a medication, doctors and the Health Department will have little basis for refusing anyone who asks. A marijuana license will be more akin to a fishing license than to a medical prescription.

Ultimately, my concern with SQ 788 is that its passage will effectively legalize recreational marijuana in Oklahoma, but with a spurious licensing provision that puts medical professionals in an untenable gatekeeper’s role. At the same time, many of the sensible regulations that should accompany the legalization of marijuana will not be in place.

The Legislature failed this past session to approve several proposals intended to create a regulatory framework for marijuana, but they are widely expected to take up the matter in special session this summer if SQ 788 passes. In the end, whatever I and other voters decide, lawmakers will likely have the final say.

David Blatt is executive director of the Oklahoma Policy Institute, okpolicy.org.

 

Reader Comments(0)

 
 

Our Family of Publications Includes:

Arc
Newsgram

Powered by ROAR Online Publication Software from Lions Light Corporation
© Copyright 2024