logo

Will Oklahoma Surprise Nation By Becoming Next State to Legalize Pot?

image
Author: 420 Times
Created: 05 February, 2014
Updated: 14 October, 2022
1 min read
Unyielding efforts are being made in the Oklahoma State Senate to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes for adults age 21 and older. Senator Connie Johnson has introduced Senate Bill 2116 which, if successful, would legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana similar to alcohol in her republic.

“By taxing and regulating marijuana we can take the lucrative market out of the hands of criminals and drug cartels and put it in the hands of tax-paying, law-abiding businesses,” Johnson declared.

The Sooner State senator was also quick to point out that the perpetuation of the current prohibition of marijuana diverts the attention of law enforcement officials from more serious crimes.

“More importantly, we can stop arresting adults simply for using a substance less harmful than alcohol and focus our law enforcement resources on violent crimes and real threats to public safety,” Senator Johnson affirmed.

Not only does Johnson believe that it’s immoral to punish people that choose to use “a substance less harmful than alcohol,” but she also feels there has to be an intelligent alternative to overpopulating the privatized industrial prison complexes with individuals arrested for nonviolent drug crimes such as marijuana possession.

“As taxpayers, we’re spending over $30 million each year policing, jailing and incarcerating our citizens on marijuana-related offenses. Yet marijuana is almost universally available. It’s time for a smarter approach,” Senator Johnson avowed.

Editor's note: This article originally published on the 420 Times on Monday, February 3, 2014.

Latest articles

votes
Wyoming Purges Nearly 30% of Its Voters from Registration Rolls
It is not uncommon for a state to clean out its voter rolls every couple of years -- especially to r...
27 March, 2024
-
1 min read
ballot box
The Next Big Win in Better Election Reform Could Come Where Voters Least Expect
Idaho isn't a state that gets much attention when people talk about politics in the US. However, this could change in 2024 if Idahoans for Open Primaries and their allies are successful with their proposed initiative....
21 March, 2024
-
3 min read
Courts
Why Do We Accept Partisanship in Judicial Elections?
The AP headline reads, "Ohio primary: Open seat on state supreme court could flip partisan control." This immediately should raise a red flag for voters, and not because of who may benefit but over a question too often ignored....
19 March, 2024
-
9 min read
Nick Troiano
Virtual Discussion: The Primary Solution with Unite America's Nick Troiano
In the latest virtual discussion from Open Primaries, the group's president, John Opdycke, sat down ...
19 March, 2024
-
1 min read
Sinema
Sinema's Exit Could Be Bad News for Democrats -- Here's Why
To many, the 2024 presidential primary has been like the movie Titanic - overly long and ending in a disaster we all saw coming from the start. After months of campaigning and five televised primary debates, Americans are now faced with a rematch between two candidates polling shows a majority of them didn’t want....
19 March, 2024
-
7 min read