Stitt urges new statewide vote to end Oklahoma medical marijuana program, citing public safety concerns

Governor’s proposal revisits a voter-approved system that has expanded rapidly since 2018

Gov. Kevin Stitt used his 2026 State of the State address on Feb. 2, 2026, to call for sending Oklahoma’s medical marijuana policy back to voters with the goal of ending the program. The governor framed the request as a public safety issue and argued that enforcement and regulatory steps taken over the past several years have not been sufficient to address illegal activity linked to the industry.

Oklahoma’s medical marijuana system was created after voters approved State Question 788 on June 26, 2018, with 56.9% support. The initiative established a broad medical framework that, over time, produced one of the nation’s largest state-licensed medical cannabis markets by participation and number of businesses.

Stitt links medical marijuana expansion to criminal activity and regulatory strain

In his remarks, Stitt said Oklahoma was “sold a bill of goods” in 2018 and described the medical marijuana sector as “out of control.” He asserted that dispensaries and grow operations have been used as fronts enabling cartel activity, human trafficking and foreign influence. He also said the state’s enforcement agencies have made progress but face structural limits in policing a market he described as difficult to rein in.

State enforcement and regulatory agencies have increased oversight since 2022. Oklahoma placed a moratorium on processing applications for new grower, processor and dispensary licenses beginning Aug. 26, 2022. The Legislature later extended the moratorium through 2026 while expanding inspection authority and tightening licensing requirements, including broader background-check standards and additional enforcement tools across state agencies.

Market contraction and oversupply findings shape the policy backdrop

Alongside enforcement changes, the licensed market has been shrinking from prior highs. Oklahoma regulators have also publicly highlighted oversupply concerns. In 2023, a state-commissioned supply-and-demand study concluded Oklahoma had far more regulated medical cannabis than necessary to meet demand from licensed patients, a finding used by regulators to justify additional compliance and enforcement strategies.

More recently, state licensing data reflected thousands of active commercial licenses and hundreds of thousands of patient licenses, indicating the program’s continued scale even as the number of licensed businesses declines.

What would be required for “another vote”

Stitt’s call for a new statewide vote raises immediate procedural questions. Because State Question 788 was adopted by voters, ending the medical marijuana framework would require action capable of superseding or repealing the voter-approved initiative. That could take the form of a new ballot measure—either placed before voters by lawmakers or advanced through the citizen initiative process—paired with statutory changes to implement any repeal.

Key dates in Oklahoma’s medical marijuana policy debate

• June 26, 2018: Voters approve State Question 788 (medical marijuana) with 56.9% support.
• Aug. 26, 2022: Moratorium begins on processing new grower, processor and dispensary license applications.
• June 21, 2023: State releases findings from a commissioned supply-and-demand study citing significant oversupply.
• Feb. 2, 2026: Stitt calls for a new vote aimed at shutting down the medical marijuana program.

Stitt asked lawmakers to “send the marijuana issue back to the vote of the people” and “shut it down.”

No legislation placing such a question on the ballot was announced in the speech itself, and any future ballot timeline would depend on legislative action, petition efforts, and election scheduling rules.