OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Two Oklahoma City women have launched an initiative petition for a statewide vote on whether to legalize the use of marijuana in the state by adults 21 and older.
A proposed ballot title was submitted to the Secretary of State’s office last week with little fanfare by Amy Young and Vanessa Avery.
If the proposed title and wording is approved, supporters will have 90 days to gather nearly 178,000 signatures to put the question on the ballot.
If passed, it would amend the Oklahoma Constitution to allow adult use of marijuana and impose a 15% tax on the sale of marijuana, in addition to state and local taxes.
“Allowing adult use of marijuana, and regulating and taxing it, is a good policy decision for the state of Oklahoma, and voters should now have the opportunity to decide this issue,” Young said in a statement.
Michelle Tilley, a campaign consultant for supporters of the proposal, said a combination of Oklahoma cannabis
activists and a Washington, D.C.-based political action committee, New Approach PAC, are funding the initiative.
Oklahoma’s medical marijuana program launched last year and has been wildly successful, with more than 220,000 patient and 1,500 dispensary licenses issued so far.