Oklahoma voters overwhelmingly defeated State Question No. 820, a proposition to legalize and tax recreational marijuana. Statewide, 61.68 percent (349,121) of the voters were against the proposal and only 38.32 percent (216,883) in favor.

Seminole County was even more adamant, with 68.61 percent (2,107) against and only 31.39 percent (964) in favor.

Neighboring counties all agreed, including Hughes, 74.68 percent to 25.32 percent; Okfuskee, 74.26 percent to 25.74 percent, Pontotoc County, 70.06 percent to 29.94 percent; and Pottawatomi, 65.19 percent to 34.81 percent.

Voter turnout was comparatively low, with a total of 566,004 votes cast, according to the Oklahoma State Election Board. There were about 892,000 ballots cast when Oklahoma voters approved the state’s medical marijuana program in the June 2018 midterm primary election.

After this approval, the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) was created. In addition to collecting regular state, county, and local tax on marijuana sales, the OMMA also receives a 7% excise tax on retail sales of medical marijuana and medical marijuana products-sales from dispensaries to patients. Had State Question 820 passed, this excise tax would have more than doubled to 15%.

This revenue goes first to OMMA’s authorized budget. Then, 75% of excess revenue from excise tax collections goes into the States general revenue, and can only be spent for common education, while the other 25% of excess revenue is apportioned to OSDH and earmarked for drug and alcohol rehabilitation and prevention.

Supporters of the proposal estimated sales would bring in almost half a billion dollars in new money for education, law enforcement and other priorities in its first five years. It would have also ended arrests for small amounts and allowed people with marijuana arrests or convictions for simple marijuana possession to have their records expunged. It also included new rules and regulations providing for product testing, childproof packaging, and other safety regulations.

Former State Representative Bryan Kiesel from Seminole, a senior advisor to “Yes for 820,” helped draft the ballot language. He encouraged activists to continue to fight for retroactive expungement and an end to marijuana arrests.

“We have thousands of families being torn apart and thrown into chaos every year because a mom or a dad has a small amount of marijuana that would be legal in 21 other states and legal in Oklahoma for medical card holders,” Kiesel stated after the results were in Tuesday evening. “Furthermore, the enforcement of Oklahoma’s marijuana laws has historically been deeply slanted against Black Oklahomans, who are much more likely to be arrested than their White counterparts. We must continue to work to end these unjust and wasteful arrests and to give people who do have arrests or convictions on their records the tools to seek expungement and start with a clean slate.”

One of the central issues opponents stressed was that SQ 820 would be detrimental to children and youths despite age restrictions on recreational cannabis sales. They also believe legalization of medical marijuana encouraged criminal enterprises to come to the state to participate in black-market marijuana operations. Loosening the state’s marijuana laws further would make those problems worse.

Gov. Kevin Stitt stated he believes medical marijuana can help sick people, but keeping recreational marijuana illegal in Oklahoma is the best thing to keep children safe and for the state as a whole.

“Oklahomans rejected State Question 820. I believe this is the best thing to keep our kids safe and for our state as a whole,” Stitt said in a statement. “Oklahoma is a law and order state. I remain committed to protecting Oklahomans and my administration will continue to hold bad actors accountable and crack down on illegal marijuana operations in our state.”