Oklahoma voters pass State Question 788, creating one of the nation’s most open medical cannabis markets

On June 26, 2018, Oklahoma voters went to the polls for a primary election and approved State Question 788 (SQ 788) by a margin of 56.86% Yes (507,582 votes) to 43.14% No (385,176 votes), making Oklahoma the 30th state to legalize medical marijuana.

Why SQ 788 stood out nationally

Written by grassroots organizers, SQ 788 created one of the least restrictive medical cannabis frameworks in the United States:

• No qualifying-condition list: Unlike most medical states that restrict cards to a fixed statutory list of diseases, SQ 788 allowed licensed physicians to recommend medical cannabis for any condition the doctor determined would benefit—treating it like any other medication.
• Generous patient limits: Licensed patients could possess up to 3 ounces of cannabis on their person, 8 ounces at home, 1 ounce of concentrated cannabis, 72 ounces of edibles, and cultivate up to 6 mature plants and 6 seedlings at home.
• Low licensing barriers: With an initial commercial license fee of $2,500 and no state cap on the number of cultivation or dispensary licenses, nearly 10% of Oklahoma adults eventually enrolled as registered patients—though Oklahoma voters later rejected a separate adult-use measure (SQ 820) in a March 2023 special election.