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Oklahoma Group To Submit Medical Marijuana Petition

Oklahoma will now exclude cannabidiol, a non-intoxicating chemical found in marijuana, from its definition of the drug.
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A group that supports the use of medical marijuana in Oklahoma plans to submit signed petitions to the Oklahoma Secretary of State's office to have the issue placed on the November ballot.

Tulsa-based Oklahomans for Health plans to submit the petitions on Friday. The group faces a Saturday deadline to gather the signatures of more than 155,000 registered Oklahoma voters who support a referendum on the issue.

If voters approve, marijuana would be classified as an herbal drug regulated by the Oklahoma State Department of Health. Doctors would be able to prescribe it for a variety of medical conditions.

The petitions will be submitted just two days after Gov. Mary Fallin threw her support behind the legalization of an oil derived from cannabis for limited medical purposes.

State Rep. Jonathan Echols (R-Oklahoma City) says his interim study on cannabidiol oil has a personal connection. Nichols acknowledged during a press conference this week his niece was diagnosed with a seizure-related disorder that doctors say could be controlled through the use of CBD.
Echols says interim studies typically happen for two reasons - to push an agenda, and for true fact-finding, and his does both.
The House Public Health Committee plans to hear the interim study, but no date has been set.
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