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Opposition Grows Against Senate Bill Regulating Medical Marijuana

Flickr / scubabrett22

Supporters of legalizing medical marijuana in Oklahoma are opposing a Senate Bill to regulate it.

Senate Bill 1120 passed out of committee on Monday. The bill, authored by Senator Ervin Yen (R-Oklahoma City), would put tight restrictions on medical marijuana, if voters pass State Question 788 in June.

Oklahomans for Health created the state question and chairman Chip Paul says the bill would deny treatment for people with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety or depression.

"It’s very restrictive, you know, you have to have these four or five medical conditions so that’s no good. And, then how he’s placing it in government under the auspices of the Bureau of Narcotics, and we’re calling this a medical marijuana program? So, yeah, it’s horrible."

Paul says the measure isn’t just restrictive to patients -- it also restricts businesses hoping to sell medical marijuana in the state.

"The Oklahoma Health Commissioner has the rights at any time to pull every single medical marijuana license around the state, so that’s a little scary. You know, I don’t know that I think I would be investing much in an Oklahoma business based on those conditions."

He says Oklahomans for Health is instead supporting medical marijuana legislation by Representative John Paul Jordan (R-Yukon). That bill is expected to be heard in the Rules Committee on Wednesday.

State Question 788 will go before Oklahoma voters on June 26th.

Michael Cross is the host of KOSU's Morning Edition.
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