Latest news with #Secretary of State
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Campaign to legalize cannabis in Oklahoma will start collecting signatures in August
The latest effort to relax marijuana laws in Oklahoma has passed a critical procedural hurdle, and the campaign will begin collecting signatures to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot. State Question 837 would ask voters to let adults 21 years of age or older buy marijuana without a medical marijuana license. Registered Oklahoma voters can begin signing the petition when it goes live on Aug. 6. Signatures must be turned in to the state by Nov. 4. Current state law only allows residents to purchase and possess marijuana if they have a medical marijuana patient license. If the state question becomes law, anyone could walk into a dispensary and make a purchase if they are at least 21 years old. Adults under 21 would need a medical marijuana license from the state to purchase cannabis under the proposed framework. Cannabis petition cleared to collect signatures The organizer of the SQ 837 campaign is Oklahomans for Responsible Cannabis Action (ORCA). The group recently got confirmation from the Oklahoma secretary of state's office that there were no constitutional challenges to the petition. After a state question is first presented to officials, Oklahoma law gives residents 90 days to challenge it on constitutional grounds. Because there was no challenge, ORCA can begin collecting the required number of signatures to put it in front of voters. "Our group's already kind of a statewide organization, so we've been working on getting everyone rowing in the same direction," said ORCA Director Jed Green. If the signature-gathering campaign is successful, SQ 837 could appear on the ballot as early as June 2026 or as late as November that same year during the statewide general election. Supporters will have to gather at least 172,993 verified signatures of registered Oklahoma voters to place it on the ballot. This signature-gathering campaign will be more difficult than others in previous years, however. During the 2025 legislative session, state lawmakers approved a law that limits the number of initiative petition signatures that can be collected from a single county. Senate Bill 1027 has since been challenged in the Oklahoma Supreme Court, which has not yet issued a ruling. "We don't have a lot of concern as a grassroots organization complying with some of the aspects of 1027," Green told The Oklahoman. "We've already got folks on the ground in 55 counties right now. We've got over 300 retail businesses already signed up to help us circulate." Green said this is the best time of year for signature gathering because of all the high-turnout events across Oklahoma like fairs and sporting events. The new signature requirements, however, will force ORCA to rely more on support in smaller, more rural counties. That includes Harmon County in far southwestern Oklahoma, where Green said he can only sign up a few dozen voters before reaching the limit. "Maybe we'll go and hang out at the co-op for a day or go to the county courthouse, I don't know," he said. "Voters of Harmon County, only 117 of you are allowed to sign this so get ready, we'll come out and visit." What does Oklahoma's State Question 837 do? If it becomes part of Oklahoma's Constitution, SQ 837 would open marijuana sales to any adult who is at least 21 years old, regardless of their medical status or state of residence. These purchases would be taxed at 10%, along with the usual state, county or local sales taxes. The amendment wouldn't abolish the medical marijuana system, however. People who keep their medical patient status would be exempt from paying the 10% marijuana excise tax, which is currently set at 7%. The amendment also would ensure that law enforcement cannot presume someone's impairment or intoxication based solely on the use of marijuana or presence of THC in their system. Sales to the public would begin 60 days after passage, and home delivery would be authorized after six months. Oklahoma has considered 'recreational' marijuana before In 2023, voters rejected State Question 820, which would have created a separate recreational marijuana market for licensed adults who are at least 21 years old. Over 61% of voters rejected the proposal, which was criticized by some law enforcement, religious leaders and public school administrators in the closing weeks of the campaign as a step too far. ORCA, the organizer of SQ 837, opposed that earlier campaign because of what Green described as a faulty framework that could be easily altered or even reversed by state lawmakers during a legislative session. Because SQ 837 would be written into the Oklahoma Constitution, any further changes would be much more difficult without another statewide vote. Oklahoma voters first approved medical marijuana in 2018. Marijuana's legal status could change on the federal level, too. In 2022, President Joe Biden triggered a review of marijuana's classification as a controlled drug. Two top agencies eventually recommended it be reclassified from Schedule I to Schedule III, but the process was temporarily halted when Donald Trump returned to the White House. Trump has previously indicated support for looser marijuana laws in his home state of Florida, but the issue hasn't been a federal priority during his first six months in office. His pick to lead the Drug Enforcement Agency, however, was only confirmed July 22. New DEA Administrator Terrance Cole has said one of his first priorities would be to review marijuana's reclassification, although he did not indicate which way he would lean. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Campaign to legalize recreational marijuana in Oklahoma advances Solve the daily Crossword
BBC News
15-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Sunderland City Council block 'unacceptable' HMO
Plans for a new shared home have been blocked after being labelled "unacceptable" and "harmful" by council development City Council has refused proposals for a house in multiple occupation (HMO) at Riversdale Terrace in Sunderland's Millfield ward, due to the number already in the area and risk of anti-social behaviour. Planners said the house, which was proposed to be converted into a seven-bedroom dwelling across three floors, would "lead to an overconcentration of HMOs" if applicant has the right to challenge the council refusal decision by lodging an appeal with the Secretary of State. The initial proposed site plan showed all HMO bedrooms offering an en-suite bathroom, and some bedrooms served by also stated there would be a bin storage area and noted no parking would be provided, although plans were later amended to provide one space, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. 'Undermine quality of life' Council planners said there would be "adequate living space and an acceptable standard of amenity" for future they said its approval would result in the number of HMOs exceeding 10% of all residential properties within 100m (328ft), which went against council planning said the plans were an "inappropriate development" and would work against "the aim of creating places that are safe, inclusive and crime and disorder, and the fear of crime, do not undermine the quality of life or community cohesion and resilience".Northumbria Police also objected to those living in rooms on the second floor having to "travel the full height of the building to store food and prepare meals", as well as the "small amount of external space" and "potential for anti-social behaviour to spill out into the surrounding locality".Council planners concluded it would be "unacceptable as it would be considered to be harmful to the character and amenities of the area". Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
