Oklahoma Farm Bureau, alongside a coalition of Oklahoma organizations and businesses, helped defeat SQ 820, which would have legalized recreational marijuana in the state during a special election held March 7.
The question failed to pass with almost 62 percent of Oklahomans voting against the measure. SQ 820 garnered a majority “No” vote in every Oklahoma county according to data from the Oklahoma Election Board. Statewide voter turnout was recorded at just over 25 percent.
OKFB worked to share the problems farmers, ranchers and rural residents experienced during the past few years as Oklahoma’s medical marijuana industry grew. OKFB held a press event March 1 at the OKFB home office in Oklahoma City with the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association and American Farmers and Ranchers highlighting the negative impacts medical marijuana has had on rural communities and agriculture while asking voters to vote No on SQ 820 to keep marijuana-related problems from growing.
OKFB members shared resources and information in their local communities, wrote letters to the editor in their local papers and spread information about the possible repercussions of SQ 820 on social media.
The Protect our Kids No 820 campaign spent just over $219,000 in opposing the question, with the Yes campaign spending more than $4 million, according to reports from the Oklahoma Ethics Commission available just after the election.
OKFB’s grassroots-created policy opposes recreational marijuana in the state of Oklahoma, which was the basis for the organization’s involvement in the coalition opposing SQ 820.
