TULSA, Okla. — Five years after marijuana appeared on a state-wide ballot, it's back.
In 2018 voters legalized medical marijuana, now on Tuesday, voters will decide State Question 820, which would legalize the drug recreationally for those 21 and older.
2 News Oklahoma's Amanda Slee talked to some voters to see where they stand. Just about everyone she spoke to was either in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana or on the fence, saying they needed to do more research before voting.
At Uptown Wellness, a dispensary near 12th and Houston, owner Lizz Koelle told 2 News she has mixed feelings about recreational marijuana. "I really like the idea of more access to medicine by all the people, but I don’t like the idea of the government being more involved in my business,” Koelle said.
By legalizing it recreationally, Koelle said those who weren’t able to get a medical card due to a financial barrier would be able to get what they need. Although, she did note the amount and potency a person can buy recreationally would likely be different from that of medical patients.
Koelle said she also likes that it would expunge some criminal records. One thing she’s worried about is the hoops she will have to go through to run a recreational cannabis shop.
“We would have to have another area of our store that was designated for recreational sales. It would be completely separated," she said. "We would have different licensing, a separate licensing renewal fee. Essentially, we would have to have two businesses inside this business to operate a recreational and a medical at the same time.”
Despite the hoops, she said they would be excited to do that.
If passed, there would also be a difference in tax rates. For medical patients, she explains they will continue to pay 7% on top of sales tax, whereas recreational customers would be paying 15% on top of sales tax.
You have from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to cast your ballot. You'll also want to double-check that polling location on the voter portal website before you cast your vote. 820 is the only question on the ballot, with the exception of a few counties, which also have local propositions.
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