Medical Marijuana Petitions Circulate Outside Tulsa State Fair

Legalizing medical marijuana is something Oklahoma has yet to do, but one group called "Green the Vote" is trying to change that.

The group as they collected signatures outside the Tulsa State Fair today.

They will need to obtain 120,000 signatures to get medical marijuana on next November's ballot, and they have 90 days to get them.

Volunteers have been out since the first of the month trying to collect those signatures on petitions.

So far, several thousand signatures across the state have been collected, but the deadline is Dec. 30.

Supporters say research continues to pour in about the benefits of marijuana.

Since Oct. 1, volunteers have spread out across the state, getting signatures and sharing what they say are the benefits of medical marijuana, whether it's smoked, taken orally or used topically in an oil or lotion. Supporters argue it provides relief from the symptoms of cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, and a variety of other illness.

Since the use of medical marijuana isn't legal in Oklahoma, people with certain illnesses are moving from the state to others where it is legal. Supporters say now is the time to step away from the stigma of marijuana use being wrong.

"If we can get everyone who believes that this should be legal to get out and help us gather signatures, then this would be an easy goal to make,” Isaac Caviness said. “But you have to come out of that cannabis closet you have to be willing to come out and say ‘I'm willing to stand up for this. I'm willing to take the ridicule from the people who are on the fence and re-educate them."

Some of the arguments against legal medical marijuana include, that it's not FDA approved, that there are other prescribed drugs on the market to use, and that it's a gateway to harder drug use.

Nicholas Wolfwood says he doesn't' believe there are medical benefits, but he'll vote for it because it should be the people's choice, not the government's.

"It's no different form cigarettes or alcohol," Wolfwood said. "Why should we criminalize people or put people away in jail for long periods of time for doing nothing more than having a little fun?"