It looks like we're going to have wait a little bit longer for medical marijuana to be legal in Oklahoma. Earlier today, the Tulsa World reported that the Oklahoma Senate will not schedule a study on the for some reason controversial issue:
Marijuana advocates will have to wait another year to try to get their discussion in front of Oklahoma legislators after a committee chairman announced this week he would not schedule the interim study.
Following Arkansas' near passing of medical marijuana on Nov. 6, Oklahoma marijuana advocates - including the leader of the Tulsa branch of National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws - were in high hopes of getting an interim study approved to discuss bills put forward by state Sen. Constance Johnson, D-Oklahoma City, aiming at legalizing marijuana for medicinal use.
That sucks. Because I struggle with, uh, anxiety, pain, and boredom, I also had "high" hopes this interim study would be approved. Oh well, at least non-medical marijuana is readily available and abundant in this state.
Also, I had no clue there was a Tulsa chapter for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Hell, I didn't even know there was an Oklahoma Chapter. I would schedule a fundraiser for them to help fund a state question petition drive, but I just don't have the motivation to do so.
Anyway, here's the excuse Sen. Brian Crain, R-Tulsa, gave for not scheduling the study:
The chairman of the committee, state Sen. Brian Crain, R-Tulsa, said he discussed the scheduling of the study with Johnson but decided recently not to move forward with the study...
Crain said his decision not to allow the study was based on the Oklahoma Constitution and the U.S. Constitution.
"I don't know how we can proceed with the legalization of medical marijuana as long as the federal law says the legalization of medical marijuana is against the law," Crain said.
Well, Tubby, I mean Mr. Crain, here's an answer to your question. The Feds don't enforce the law. Watch this report on 60 Minutes — you know, the respected Sunday night news magazine — and see if it changes your mind. It probably won't, because you're a socially conservative fun hater who wants the general public to abide by your own stringent, boring, missionary position moral code, but watch it anyway, and then schedule a study.
Just like any legal or illegal drug, marijuana has some negative side effects and isn't for everyone, but if a grown adult wants to use it in the privacy of their own home for either medical or recreational purposes, they should have that right. You can't overdose on it, and the worst thing it will do is make you hungry, lazy and miss some typos when proofreading a blog post. Nothing's wrong with that.
