BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — There are some happy and some disappointed people on Wednesday after State Question 820 - the measure to legalize marijuana for those 21 and older - failed in Oklahoma.
Med Pharm dispensary on the Broken Arrow/Coweta line always prided itself in being a welcoming dispensary. The ingredients are clearly laid out on their products and their budtenders are knowledgeable about the cannabis industry.
It's what owner Denise Mink wanted when she opened in December 2018, just a few months after Oklahoma voters approved medicinal marijuana in the state.
“I’m not happy,” Mink told 2 News, a day after Oklahoma voters rejected State Question 820. It would have legalized weed for anyone over 21-years-old for recreational use, regardless of a medical marijuana license.
“We wanted to expand the market," Mink said. "There are some people that are afraid to get their cards for whatever reason. Those are the people that need it the most.”
According to current data from the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, over 369,000 Oklahomans have a medical marijuana license. That’s nearly 10 percent of Oklahoma’s population.
Mink believes there still seems to be a lot of negativity toward marijuana in Oklahoma. Even though it’s getting better, she says the stigma hasn't gone away.
Those against the measure include Oklahoma Gov Kevin Stitt, claiming the ‘no vote’ keeps Oklahoma safer. U.S. Senator James Lankford agrees.
“There is no direction you can travel that you don’t run into multiple marijuana facilities and what the pro marijuana folks are saying is that’s not enough we want more," Lankford said on 2 News Wednesday morning. "I think Oklahomans are saying we have too much now, and are pushing back on it.”
Mink says marijuana isn't safe for children, but believes it can also help them in certain health-related situations.
"You shouldn’t be driving and consuming. That’s all very true. It’s not safe. But neither is alcohol and neither is opioids, but we can manage the product and keep it safe," Mink said.
Mink says it could take marijuana to being made legal federally before recreational use gets back on the ballot in Oklahoma. In a way, she partly agrees with Sen. Lankford that there's too many dispensaries.
“I wish that they would concentrate more on those (dispensaries) that are performing illegally and that will get rid of a lot of these," Mink said.
Until then, Mink and her staff will continue serving their clients.
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