A few months ago, lawyers with Oklahomans For Health filed a challenge to Scott Pruitt's controversial re-write of the medical marijuana state question that will likely appear on the 2018 ballot. If you remember correctly, Pruitt twisted the language of the state question to make it sound like Oklahoma was a progressive state doing something logical and smart and legalizing the herb for everyday recreational use.
Here's a recap from the AP:
Oklahoma Republican Attorney General Scott Pruitt's rewrite of a proposed ballot question on medical marijuana is intentionally misleading and could confuse people into thinking they were voting to fully legalize marijuana in the state, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday.
The lawsuit was filed with the state Supreme Court on behalf of Oklahomans for Health, a group that gathered enough signatures to have the question placed before voters.
"Thousands and thousands of signatures were collected from voters of Oklahoma," attorney David Slane said after he filed the lawsuit. "No elected official has the right to rewrite these ballots in such a way that he would try to unfairly influence voters. Scott Pruitt has a habit, a pattern of doing this."
Slane said he believes the rewrite was crafted in such a way as to encourage Oklahoma voters to reject it.
First of all, it's good to see David Slane has moved away from the sex predator defense beat and is now using his smarts to help legalize drugs. I'm sure he'll have many stories to tell the next time he rescues villagers from floods and snakes.
Anyway, Slane does have a point. Pruitt – a right-wing theocrat who wants to keep the government out of your life unless, of course, you're using a non-lethal substance that makes you feel good and enjoy bad TV – obviously re-worded the state question to make it appear it will legalize recreational marijuana in Oklahoma.
But what Slane and Oklahoman's For Health won't admit is the proposed law does basically legalize marijuana in Oklahoma. Check out the state question here. You can get a medical marijuana card for any condition – like headaches, insomnia and even accounting! – and if you're dumb and don't have a card, about the only thing cops can do is fine you $400 for possession.
Well, it looks like the whole re-write saga has taken another strange turn. On Tuesday, The Oklahoma Supreme Court filed an order asking both sides to file briefs on whether or not the new law is "void on its face in relation to federal law."
Check it out:
I think there are two ways to interpret this is request:
1. Even though more than half of our states have legalized some form of medical marijuana, The Oklahoma Supreme Court is playing things safe and trying to gather all applicable information before considering a re-write of the ballot.
2. The Supreme Court is playing politics and trying to kick the measure off the ballot, ensuring that Oklahoma stays in the regressive marijuana dark ages.
Because I'm kind of a bowl half full type of guy and want to own a dispensary called Happy Ogle some day, I'm going to lean towards option 1. Although they ruled against TLO in our open records case against Governor Fallin, the Oklahoma Supreme Court has generally been good to the people of Oklahoma. Most of the time, they have our back and protect us from the overzealous theocratic politicians who enjoy forcing religion down our throats and denying equal rights to women, minorities and other people that are not white Christian men. The court can't abandon us now, can they? That would suck more than a bag of Mexico Reggie!
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