A Brief History
In 2000, medical cannabis initiatives were passed in the states of Colorado and Nevada. By 2016, legalization of medical cannabis had spread to a majority of states. In 2018, medical cannabis was legalized by a ballot measure in Oklahoma. Today, Oklahoma is a state with one of the friendliest laws on medical marijuana usage. 57% of Oklahoma voters agreed, through the State Question 88 (SQ 88), on the legalization of medical marijuana with a doctor’s recommendation.
The Oklahoma medical marijuana program already has 200,000 patients under its wing. The state now belongs to the top spot among all the states with marijuana legislation. The implementation of the program is swift and efficient. Growers and dispensaries made the products available the fastest way possible. It is hailed as one of the best medical marijuana programs in the country because patients do not have to go through many steps to get relief.
If you are from Oklahoma and want to seek relief from pain or sickness through cannabis, here are some facts you need to know.
Digging Deeper
Qualifying Conditions
Unlike in some states like Illinois and Connecticut, Oklahoma does not have a list of qualifying conditions. There are no specific criteria that a patient needs to meet to receive a doctor’s recommendation.
The SQ 788 states that a doctor should recommend a marijuana license based on acceptable standards when prescribing other medications. Reason and prudence should always prevail as with any medical recommendation.
Allowable Quantity
The Oklahoma medical marijuana program allows cannabis possession of up to eight ounces by license holders. It also allows possession of six mature marijuana plants and six seedlings. Possession of an ounce of concentrated cannabis and 72 ounces of edible marijuana is also considered legal in Oklahoma.
Online Medical Marijuana Card Application
Getting a medical marijuana card (MMID) in Oklahoma is fast and easy. A patient can use an online medical network that can recommend certified doctors in the area. It minimizes the stress of searching for a cannabis advocate in the medical community.
If the doctor sees that marijuana can help in the patient’s healing process, the patient will receive a letter of recommendation in PDF form. The patient will then submit the letter together with the online application form to the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority.
If all information is correct, the patient will receive the MMID in just 14 business days.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
Oklahoma may have the best medical marijuana programs in the country, but it still has the harshest penalties for non-compliance. It aims to preserve the integrity of marijuana for medicinal purposes only.
A patient will get arrested for driving while high. It may result in a loss of license. Excess marijuana cannot be sold or donated, even to other patients. If a patient has cultivated too much, the excess must be processed or disposed at once.
Marijuana from Oklahoma cannot be out of the state border. Bear in mind that marijuana use is still illegal federally. Bringing it to other states will result in arrests and penalties.
The maximum penalty for illegal possession in Oklahoma is one-year imprisonment and a $1000 fine.
Delivery
The state of Oklahoma does not allow the delivery of marijuana. If the patient is unable to buy on his own due to medical conditions, a designated caregiver must register during the application process. The caregiver may purchase and pick up the needed marijuana for the patient.
Patients in Oklahoma who have been suffering from debilitating illnesses can now get a reprieve in the most convenient way possible. Having an alternative treatment is life-changing. And knowing that it is just within reach may mean a better quality of life for them.
Question for students (and subscribers): Do you think medical marijuana should be legalized in all states? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!
Your readership is much appreciated!
Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Lee, Martin A. Smoke Signals: A Social History of Marijuana – Medical, Recreational and Scientific. Scribner, 2013.
The featured image in this article, a photograph by User:O’Dea of a Discount Medical Marijuana cannabis shop at 970 Lincoln Street, Denver, Colorado, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.