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. [continues 761 words]
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. [continues 1179 words]
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. [continues 430 words]
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." [continues 874 words]
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. [continues 545 words]
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. [continues 469 words]
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.) [continues 367 words]
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. [continues 417 words]
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." [continues 228 words]
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. [continues 1519 words]
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." [continues 200 words]
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. [continues 197 words]
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. [continues 346 words]
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. [continues 388 words]
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. [continues 295 words]
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. [continues 439 words]
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. [continues 282 words]
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. [continues 512 words]
Inside Oklahoma
