TULSA, Okla. - The teenager had pink cheeks from the cold and a matter-of-fact tone as she explained why she had started using methamphetamine after becoming homeless last year.

"Having nowhere to sleep, nothing to eat - that's where meth comes into play," said the girl, 17, who asked to be identified by her nickname, Rose. "Those things aren't a problem if you're using."

She stopped two months ago, she said, after smoking so much meth over a 24-hour period that she hallucinated and nearly jumped off a bridge. Deaths associated with meth use are climbing here in Oklahoma and in many other states, an alarming trend for a nation battered by the opioid epidemic, and one that public health officials are struggling to fully explain.

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The medical marijuana "Unity Bill" that sets up a basic legal framework for the implementation of State Question 788 will take effect Thursday.

Nearly three dozen other new laws will also take effect this week.

Here's a look at some of the new laws.

'Unity Bill'

Also known as the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana and Patient Protection Act, House Bill 2612 sets up a framework for regulating Oklahoma's medical marijuana industry.

The lengthy bill that was a compromise between legislators and those in the medical marijuana industry sets guidelines for marijuana testing, tax collections, seed-to-sale product tracking, packaging, employment and more.

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A year after medical marijuana became legal in Oklahoma, state lawmakers and marijuana advocates seem to have found a balance in implementing State Question 788 and moving the industry forward into the near future.

Sweeping legislation -- the result of a major compromise between legislators and cannabis advocates -- to regulate the medical marijuana industry will go into effect later this month.

Meanwhile, there are whispers of an initiative petition to put the question of legalizing recreational marijuana to a statewide vote, which could shake up Oklahoma's fledgling marijuana industry and the new regulatory framework.

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Creation of a Cannabis Commission to regulate medical marijuana in the state was approved by the Oklahoma House of Representatives on Thursday night with no votes to spare.

House Bill 3468, by Rep. John Jordan, R-Yukon, sets up an independent commission that would be activated if voters approve State Question 788 on June 26. That question would legalize medical uses of medical marijuana, although opponents say its broad construction would essentially make policing recreational use impossible.

"If you're for full-on recreational marijuana, this is not your bill," Jordan said in explaining the bill.

[end]

LINDSAY, Okla - Danny Daniels, an evangelical Christian in the rural Oklahoma town of Lindsay, is reliably conservative on just about every political issue.

The 45-year-old church pastor is anti-abortion, voted for President Donald Trump and is a member of the National Rifle Association who owns an AR-15 rifle. He also came of age during the 1980s and believed in the anti-drug mantra that labeled marijuana as a dangerous gateway drug.

But his view on marijuana changed as his pastoral work extended into hospice care and he saw patients at the end of their lives benefiting from the use of cannabis.

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A medical marijuana activist in Oklahoma says the county sheriff forcibly escorted him out of a forum, but the sheriff says he thinks the scuffle was an "orchestrated" deal with an attempt to rattle law enforcement.

Chip Paul, co-founder of Oklahomans for Health, said he was attending a forum about the proposed legislation for legalizing medical marijuana when he was forced out by Rogers County Sheriff Scott Walton. The organization is the official proponent of legalizing medical cannabis in Oklahoma through State Question 788.

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On Nov. 21, 2012, Sheila Bartels walked out of the Sunshine Medical Center in Oklahoma with a prescription for a "horrifyingly excessive" cocktail of drugs capable of killing her several times over.

A short time later, she was at a pharmacy, receiving what drug addicts call "the holy trinity" of prescription drugs: the powerful painkiller Hydrocodone, the anti-anxiety medication Xanax and a muscle relaxant known as Soma.

In total, pharmacists handed her 510 pills that day - all legal, because she had a prescription with the signature of her doctor, Regan Ganoung Nichols, scrawled at the bottom, according to a probable cause affidavit.

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BEIJING -- U.S. assertions that China is the top source of the synthetic opioids that have killed thousands of drug users in the U.S. and Canada are unsubstantiated, Chinese officials told the Associated Press.

Both the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy point to China as North America's main source of fentanyl, related drugs and the chemicals used to make them.

Such statements "lack the support of sufficient numbers of actual, confirmed cases," China's National Narcotics Control Commission told DEA's Beijing field office in a fax dated Friday.

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AFTER several failed efforts, proponents of legalizing "medical" marijuana in Oklahoma may have collected enough signatures to put the issue before voters. So it's worth looking at the actual content of this measure, even though logistical challenges may postpone a vote until after November's elections.

Prior medical marijuana proposals have been laughably broad. The legal language for proposed State Question 788 is better, but problems and loopholes remain that should concern Oklahomans.

Proponents like to portray the proposed system as comparable to going to the drugstore for a prescription painkiller. But the language of SQ 788 undermines that image. Under the proposal, someone with a state-issued medical marijuana license could both produce and use marijuana. That's not typical for most controlled substances.

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Controversy continued to swirl Friday over a ballot title rewrite for a state question aimed at legalizing medical marijuana.

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt on Thursday released his rewritten version of the ballot title for State Question 788.

On Friday, the attorney general's office received several calls thanking the office for the quick turnaround time on the revision and questioning "our rewrite," said Lincoln Ferguson, a Pruitt spokesman.

The ballot title summarizes a state question for voters.

The revision includes: "This measure legalizes the licensed use, sale, and growth of marijuana in Oklahoma. There are no qualifying medical conditions identified."

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Elections

Medical Marijuana Supporters Say Title Is Now Inaccurate; November Vote Unlikely

OKLAHOMA CITY - Supporters of an effort to legalize medical marijuana in Oklahoma said Thursday they will challenge the ballot title rewording by Attorney General Scott Pruitt.

The ballot title explains the measure to voters.

Pruitt on Thursday submitted the ballot title for State Question 788, a measure that if approved by voters would legalize medical marijuana in Oklahoma.

"There is no way we can let the Pruitt ballot title stand," said Chip Paul, a spokesman for Oklahomans for Health, which secured the signatures to get the issue before voters.

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Supporters of legalization of medical marijuana on Wednesday vowed to press getting the issue on the Nov. 8 ballot, despite a series of deadlines that make it nearly impossible.

On Tuesday, state officials said Oklahomans for Health had collected more than enough signatures to get the issue before voters.

Supporters collected 67,761 signatures; the requirement was 65,987 signatures.

But a series of deadlines means the question likely will have to wait until June or November 2018, the next scheduled primary and general elections.

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It's A Bad Idea, but SQ 788 Ought to Be on the Ballot If Possible

If State Question 788 doesn't make November's ballot, proponents have no one to blame but themselves.

Still, in the best spirit of democracy and to save some money, state officials ought to do everything reasonable to get the medical marijuana proposal before voters in November if possible.

Secretary of State Chris Benge announced Wednesday that the petition had 67,761 signatures, enough to qualify for ballot access provisionally. (A companion proposal to give proponents of initiative petitions more time to gather signatures fell short of the mark, Benge announced last week.)

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An initiative petition to let Oklahomans vote on whether to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes has enough signatures to potentially get on the ballot, Oklahoma Secretary of State Chris Benge announced Tuesday.

Backers of the petition say they hope to get the issue on the November ballot, but state officials say time constraints may make that impossible. If the issue fails to make the November ballot, voters still might get a chance to vote on it later during a special election or the 2018 primary or general election, officials said.

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Tents flapped in the northwest Oklahoma City wind as Michael Beck and another man arrived in a pickup, ready to sign a petition seeking a state vote to legalize medical marijuana.

Beck, 25, said he has never used marijuana, but he has a niece who can benefit from it and whose mother and father have moved to Colorado where it's legal.

Flags bearing a marijuana leaf and medical symbol waved in the wind as Beck talked.

A group known as Oklahomans for Health is taking petition signatures until Aug. 11 on the northeast corner of N Meridian Avenue and Northwest Expressway. They hope to gather 66,000 legible signatures from registered voters, said Frank Grove, a board member of the group who is volunteering to work at the tents the group calls "Fort Canna."

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Civil Asset Forfeitures From Prepaid Cards Prompt New Concerns Over Civil Liberties.

The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety has purchased several devices capable of seizing funds loaded on to prepaid debit cards to aid troopers in roadside seizures of suspected drug-trafficking proceeds.

The portable card scanners are designed to be carried in law enforcement vehicles, allow troopers to freeze and seize money loaded onto a prepaid debit card, and to return money to an account whose funds were seized or frozen.

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A Compassionate Expansion

Gov. Mary Fallin signed into a law a modest expansion of a state law that allows therapeutic uses of a nonintoxicating ingredient of marijuana for a limited number of medical conditions.

Previously, Fallin OK'd a law that allowed use of cannabidiol, or CBD, for patients under age 18 in a limited number of circumstances. The latest version allows adults to use CBD for treatment of "spasticity due to multiple sclerosis or due to paraplegia, intractable nausea and vomiting and appetite stimulation with chronic wasting diseases."

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I have been a dedicated reader of the Tulsa World for probably 50 years and have never read a more uninformed editorial ("Medical pot," April 18).

There are many respectful doctors and members of the media including a multisegment report by Dr. Sanjay Gupta on NBC that outlines and documents the advantages of medical marijuana for certain types of illnesses.

What you do not realize is that most of the types of medical marijuana available in legal states, like Colorado, does not contain the ingredient that makes the person taking it high, just provides relief from pain and seizures.

As a parent with a daughter who cannot take any traditional pain relievers, a trip to Colorado gave her tremendous relief. Come on, Tulsa World, become informed.

James R. Adelman, Tulsa

[end]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The Oklahoma House has given final approval to legislation that expands the medical use of an oil derived from marijuana.

The House voted 69-14 for the measure and sent it to Gov. Mary Fallin to be signed into law.

The treatment allows the medically supervised use of cannabidiol, a non-intoxicating derivative of marijuana.

Backers say the oil effectively treats people who experience epileptic seizures. Previously, its use was limited to children under 18, but the bill approved Thursday removes the age restriction.

The measure also allows its use to treat spasticity due to multiple sclerosis, paraplegia and symptoms of chronic wasting disease.

Last year, Fallin signed legislation authorizing the use of cannabidiol in children but said she remains opposed to legalizing all medical marijuana.

[end]

Oklahomans Aren't Ready for It

If at first (and second) you can't succeed ...

Supporters of legalizing the medical use of marijuana have filed a third attempt at a statewide ballot petition. Similar petitions were filed the past two years and both fell short of gathering enough support to make the ballot. But there's reason for some supporter optimism this time.

Instead of seeking a constitutional amendment, Oklahomans for Health are only looking for a statutory change, so their signature threshold is lower. They need 65,987 signatures. One of the previous attempts at a constitutional amendment reportedly gathered more than 75,000 signatures.

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DENVER - Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt is trying a new tactic in his fight to have Colorado's legalization of recreational use of marijuana overturned.

Pruitt and his Nebraska counterpart are asking an appeals court to allow them to join a court case that may decide whether federal law against marijuana pre-empts Colorado's legalization.

The two attorneys general on Thursday jointly asked the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to allow them to intervene in the case. Opponents of legalized marijuana are pursuing that case at the Denver-based appeals court.

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Oklahoma, Nebraska Officials Continue a Battle Against Colorado.

DENVER - Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt is trying a new tactic in his fight to have Colorado's legalization of marijuana for recreational use overturned.

Pruitt and his Nebraska counterpart are asking an appeals court to allow them to join a court case that may decide whether federal law against marijuana preempts Colorado's legalization.

The two attorneys general on Thursday jointly asked the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to allow them to intervene in the case. Opponents of legalized marijuana are pursuing that case at the Denver-based appeals court.

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They Will Try a Petition Drive for the Third Time.

OKLAHOMA CITY - Supporters of legalizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes will try for a third time to get the issue on the statewide ballot.

Oklahomans for Health on Monday filed papers with the Secretary of State's Office indicating its plans to circulate another initiative petition.

A similar effort in 2014 by the group failed to secure the needed signatures.

Last year, another group, Green the Vote, failed to secure the needed signatures to get the issue on the ballot.

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Oklahoma voters would be asked to legalize medical marijuana under an initiative petition filed Monday with the secretary of state's office.

It calls for the state Health Department to regulate the dispensing of marijuana to people with a doctor-signed license to obtain it.

A 7 percent tax would be applied to retail sales, with the money going first to finance regulatory expenses.

Then, 75 percent of excess funds would go to common education and 25 percent to drug and alcohol rehabilitation.

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The Pontotoc County Drug Free Coalition is hosting a town hall meeting to discuss marijuana legalization and the statewide impact it has had on Colorado.

The event takes place at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 21 at the Pontotoc Technology Center. This event is open to the community as well as those outside of Pontotoc County. No registration is required and it is free to attend.

The speaker will be Thomas Gorman, director of the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area out of Denver. Mr. Gorman is a FBI National Academy graduate and served with the California Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement agency for many years. Gorman is a veteran undercover agent, having received two Purple Hearts from being wounded while undercover. Upon retiring from the BNE, Gorman took on his current position as Director in 1997.

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Even if you oppose marijuana legalization, as I firmly do, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision recently not to interfere in the decision of Colorado voters to end cannabis prohibition was a major victory for states' rights, federalism and the 10th Amendment.

It was also a victory for all Oklahomans who do not want to be ruled by unaccountable and out-of-touch bureaucrats and politicians thousands of miles away in Washington, D.C. - and even abroad - acting in defiance of our Constitution.

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OKLAHOMA Attorney General Scott Pruitt's effort to sue the state of Colorado for its role in violating the drug laws of neighboring states fell short at the U.S. Supreme Court this week. That doesn't mean there isn't a problem, as even the attorney general of Colorado conceded.

Pruitt's lawsuit was not based on challenging the decision of Colorado citizens to legalize marijuana sales to Colorado residents. Instead, Pruitt sought to challenge Colorado state policies that are designed to generate revenue from the interstate sale of marijuana. For example, Colorado officials don't require that marijuana buyers be legal residents of Colorado, nor does the state limit the number of transactions to deter bulk trafficking. As a result, Colorado has become a hub of interstate marijuana sales and distribution.

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I was commissioned as an agent with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics in 1987 and spent more than 28 years fighting the drug issues that plague our state. My employment was a result of the "Just Say No" anti-drug initiative, which was created and championed by then first lady Nancy Reagan.

I have often wondered what the world would be like now if addicts had heeded her warning. That first needle of meth seemed so harmless. It seemed innocent the first time the crack cocaine addict took a hit off the crack pipe. The heroin looked good at the moment, to flee the world's problems and get high. Let's smoke just one joint; it's just marijuana. No one can fathom the destruction headed their way.

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What part of following a winning plan to fix our budget shortcomings does Gov. Mary Fallin not get?

Want to balance the budget and have extra left over? Then why not follow the examples set for all to follow, Colorado, Washington state, and the 20-something other states that have legalized medical marijuana, not to mention the recreational use. Millions of sales tax dollars have been collected in the states that have done so.

Why must our children's education have to suffer just because a few backward folks refuse to see the benefits of this wonderful plant that is no more a drug than aspirin, Tylenol or any other over-the-counter pain medication.

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Legislation has been proposed to overhaul the drug asset forfeiture laws in Oklahoma. Unfortunately, Oklahoma laws regarding drug asset forfeiture have been so severely misrepresented that the truth of how these laws work is lost.

Under Oklahoma law, a law enforcement officer can seize property only if he has an arrest warrant, search warrant, probable cause to believe the property is dangerous, or probable cause to believe that the property has been used, or will be used, in violation of Oklahoma narcotics laws.

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Regarding "Oklahoma, Nebraska AGs liken Colorado to 'drug cartel' over pot" (News, Jan. 7): As a Colorado resident who helped end cannabis prohibition, I strongly disagree with Oklahoma and Nebraska's claim likening Colorado to a "drug cartel." Oklahoma and Nebraska's desire to continue caging responsible adults who choose to use the relatively safe, extremely popular God-given plant is dependent on Colorado perpetuating the historically discredited "Reefer Madness" scam, dependent on punishing Colorado for not punishing its citizens for using a beneficial plant with a tantrum. In reality, citizens including Oklahoma's and Nebraska's own citizens liken cannabis prohibitionists as being anti-Christian, vulgar and just plain wrong. In the end, cannabis prohibition and discrimination will be history.

Stan White, Dillon, Colo.

[end]

WASHINGTON - U.S. Supreme Court justices are expected to decide in their closed door meeting on Jan. 22 whether to allow Oklahoma and Nebraska to sue Colorado over its marijuana laws.

The two states claim their neighbor's licensing of growers and sellers has led their own residents to travel to Colorado to buy marijuana. That in turn has strained their own law enforcement and other resources, they claim.

In a brief filed last week, Oklahoma and Nebraska compared Colorado to a drug cartel that is now exporting pot to 36 states.

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Rhetoric is heating up about a proposal to change the state's civil asset forfeiture process.

Lawmakers return in February to the Capitol, where the issue is expected to be debated.

The leading voice for change is Sen. Kyle Loveless, R-Oklahoma City. He has filed Senate Bill 838, which would make dramatic changes to a law that allows law enforcement to seize property and cash suspected of being used in a crime. The current process does not require a conviction.

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WASHINGTON - Oklahoma and Nebraska compared Colorado to a drug cartel Wednesday and again urged the Supreme Court to let them sue their neighbor over its marijuana production and distribution system.

In sharply written arguments, the two states said Colorado "has created a massive criminal enterprise whose sole purpose is to authorize and facilitate the manufacture, distribution, sale and use of marijuana."

"The State of Colorado authorizes, oversees, protects and profits from a sprawling $100 million per-month marijuana growing, processing and retailing organization that exported thousands of pounds of marijuana to some 36 States in 2014," the states' new brief says.

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Nebraska Also Asks the Supreme Court to Let It Sue Over the Legal Sale and Production of Weed.

WASHINGTON - Oklahoma and Nebraska compared Colorado to a drug cartel Wednesday and again urged the Supreme Court to let them sue their neighbor over its marijuana production and distribution system.

In sharply written arguments, the two states said Colorado "has created a massive criminal enterprise whose sole purpose is to authorize and facilitate the manufacture, distribution, sale and use of marijuana."

"The State of Colorado authorizes, oversees, protects and profits from a sprawling $100-million per-month marijuana growing, processing and retailing organization that exported thousands of pounds of marijuana to some 36 States in 2014," the two states' news brief says.

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FOR the second time in as many years, proponents have fallen short - far short - of gathering enough signatures to place a medical marijuana measure before Oklahoma voters. Backers say they will try again. But their repeated failure suggests this is an issue lacking meaningful support in Oklahoma, and that petition organizers are wasting their time.

Last week, Green the Vote submitted petitions containing roughly 70,000 signatures seeking a public vote to legalize medical marijuana in Oklahoma. The group needed 123,725 signatures to get the issue on the ballot.

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