Oklahoma recreational marijuana supporters can soon collect petition signatures, state leaders say

Proponents of a state effort hoping to make recreational marijuana legal for Oklahomans aged 21 years old or older can soon collect signatures to put their state question on a ballot next year.

The Oklahoma Secretary of State stated Friday supporters of State Question 837 can move forward with a major step in their initiative petition process.

What is State Question 837?

SQ 837 would ask voters if they want to add the “Oklahoma Responsible Cannabis Act” to the State Constitution. These are the highlights of the amendment:

1. Allow people aged 21 years old or older to purchase, possess, and consume marijuana and marijuana products.
2. Allow people aged 21 years or older to own 12 personal marijuana plants.
3. Ban people from being denied healthcare, housing, employment, a firearm or a driver’s license due to recreational marijuana use.
4. Create a 10% tax on marijuana sales for buyers without a valid Oklahoma medical marijuana patient license or caregiver license.
5. Remove a 7% tax on marijuana sales for licensed Oklahomans.
6. Create a 3% export tax for marijuana and marijuana products sold out of state, if marijuana is legalized at the federal level.

The Oklahomans for Responsible Cannabis Action (ORCA) nonprofit filed the state question with the Secretary of State in March. After a 90-day protest period with no challenges, the Secretary of State stated Friday that proponents have 90 days to collect 172,993 valid signatures to get SQ 837 on a 2026 ballot. If voters approve of the proposal, Oklahoma would become the 25th state to legalize recreational marijuana.

State Question 837’s Timeline

March 31, 2025: ORCA filed SQ 837 with the Secretary of State.

July 7, 2025: Last day of 90-day protest period allowing opponents to file challenges with the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

July 18, 2025: The Secretary of State notified ORCA that no challenges were filed, meaning that a 90-day signature collection period can proceed.

August 6, 2025: Proponents can start collecting signatures.

November 3, 2025: Proponents must submit signatures by 5 p.m. to the Secretary of State.

2026: If there are sufficient signatures, ORCA says it wants SQ 837 to be voted on as soon as the June primary election or as late as the November general election. Governor Kevin Stitt can also call for a special election, according to state statute.

History Repeating Itself?: The Issue of Recreational Marijuana in Oklahoma

Should SQ 837 receive enough petition signatures to appear on a ballot, it would not be the first time the issue of recreational marijuana was put in the hands of Oklahoma voters.

A similar measure, SQ 820, which aimed to legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older, was rejected by Oklahomans in March 2023, with 61.67% of voters voting against the proposal.

In March, ORCA said SQ 820 failed because “it was bad language for industry, did not protect consumers and was backed by out-of-state interests who ignored local grassroots efforts.”

See also: Oklahoma says ‘no’ to recreational marijuana

See also: Past coverage of SQ 820

You can read more about what SQ 837 entails and its initiative petition process on the Secretary of State's website or here: