Drug War Issues
Politics & Advocacy
Oklahoma NORML Friday released survey results from a Sooner Poll showing strong support for medical marijuana and majority support for marijuana decriminalization. The poll had support for medical marijuana at 71% and support for decriminalization at 57%. The poll did not ask about legalization.
If someone is going to be arrested for a marijuana offense, nearly two-thirds of respondents (64%) said they should be treated instead of jailed.
Under current Oklahoma law, possession of any amount can earn one up to a year in jail for a first offense and from two to 10 years for a second offense. Marijuana sales -- of any amount -- can earn a sentence of up to life in prison.
The state's largest cities were the most in favor of fixing the state's pot laws. In metro Oklahoma City and Tulsa, support for medical marijuana was higher than 75%, and support for decriminalization was at 67% in Tulsa and at 63% in Oklahoma City.
Even Oklahoma's notoriously conservative Republicans are ready for change. Support for decriminalization came from 53% of Republicans interviewed, lower than the 60% of Democrats and 65% of independents, but still a majority.
"I do hope that the polling results will help legislators feel more comfortable supporting marijuana reform," Oklahoma NORML leader Norma Sapp told the Oklahoma Observer. "I always encourage people to contact the legislators. I think a state wide lobby day will be called when the need comes."
Senator Constance Johnston (D-Oklahoma City), who has filed medical marijuana bills for several years now without managing to get a hearing, told the Observer the poll echoed what she had been hearing from constituents.
"I like the results. This is very telling. It confirms what we're being told across the state," Johnston said, adding that they could help ease legislators' worried minds. "The results make you wonder what these elected officials are afraid of," she said.
Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.
Comments
Oklahoma laws are just plain
Oklahoma laws are just plain evil! Talk about ruining someone for life for marijuana! Must be the zipper of the bible belt because the cops are dicks! Come on Oklahoma - it's time for a change - away from sentencing pot smokers with slave sentences from before the Civil War! Time to wake up in the 2000's now!. And writing tickets for 1 mile over the speed limit is crap also! How about a 5 mile an hour grace for spedos out of calibration? How about being nice to people you pull over - especially from other states? Tourist dollars are way better than robber cop dollars...try it - you'll be surprised!
Marijuana Reform is a Non-Partisan Issue
People favor workable reforms for marijuana regulation and control. Eight out of ten people in a recent Rasmussen poll believed the drug war is a failure on all levels. The major obstacle to reform appears to be sycophants, politicians and corporations that have vested interests in keeping the drug war and its attendant tragedies alive.
There is a critical need for American citizens to take back their country from the parasitic bureaucrats and profiteers who have stolen it. Persecuting people for their use of an herbal medicine simply because Big Pharma can’t make a dime off it, or because pot competes readily with a host of pharmaceutical products, is a crime being committed against citizens of this country. Voting the parasites out of office in 2014 isn’t the only option. If it’s that important to criminalize people, why not criminalize the human rights abusers?
Marijuana Law Reform
Oklahomans Ready for Marijuana Law Reform, Poll FindsYou all go ahead and let drugs be legal, and when liability suites are filed against the states for allowing people to get hurt by other people on legal dope...I will come back and say I told you so...
In reply to Marijuana Law Reform by Henry Massingale (not verified)
What fact do you base that
legal weed our neighbor did
Ok, oklahoma is behind the
Ok, oklahoma is behind the times, but we will prevail. Trial and Error, we understand it! GO ALL LEGAL VOTERS! Dont back down, oklahoma deserves too be apart of America just as Colorado does,,,We Understand Rationality, trial and error,,,if error, correct. Continue.lol.
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