Cannabis News

Oklahoma Activists Withdraw 2026 Marijuana Legalization Ballot Initiative

Published

3 months ago

November 4, 2025

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Oklahoma activists have withdrawn a marijuana legalization initiative they had hoped to put on the state’s 2026 ballot.

After a brief but aggressive signature push to secure ballot placement, Oklahomans for Responsible Cannabis Action (ORCA) ultimately failed to submit petitions by the deadline, according to the secretary of state.

It’s a critical setback for advocates, who partnered with retailers across the state — from existing medical cannabis dispensaries to tattoo parlors — to place orders. More than 500 locations provided support by serving as signature locations.

ORCA needed to submit 172,993 valid signatures by Monday, and despite the campaign’s optimism about progress, the Secretary of State confirmed that no cuts have been made.

“RETIRATION PROMOTIONS OF THE AUTHORITY”, website of the office he says. “November 3, 2025; No application brochure filed on behalf of IP449; IP449 is no longer active in the office of the Secretary of State.”

Despite the decentralized, largely volunteer nature of the campaign effort and not actively verifying signatures collected, ORCA founder Jed Green, who could not be reached for comment Monday or Tuesday, told Marijuana Moment last month that the group had “a pretty big stack” of signed petitions on hand.

The campaign was still discussing hundreds of signed petitions as of Monday evening.

It was a tight turn to deliver the signatures, as the campaign only started collecting them in August, and advocates were given about three months to do the work.

There were particular challenges this election cycle, as Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) gave final approval to the legislation earlier this year, which some advocates worry will block future citizen-led policy changes, including cannabis reform.

It is laid down by law Additional requirements regarding the initiative language that voters see on the ballot and also revised signature-gathering policies to require petitioners to submit signatures of only 11.5 percent of registered voters in a single county for bills and 20.8 percent for constitutional measures. The law is currently being challenged for reasons unrelated to the specific cannabis proposition.

Green said earlier that it’s one of the main differences between the initiative his own the organization A previous one that was pushed this year and failed on the 2023 ballot is that it accounted for concerns about licensing rules. Many have criticized the expansion of the state’s medical marijuana law, which led to a proliferation of dispensaries, and Green said the failed adult-use measure effectively duplicated that licensing scheme.

Here’s what ORCA’s latest marijuana legalization initiative would accomplish:

It would allow adults over the age of 21 to purchase and possess up to eight ounces of cannabis for personal use. They can also contain up to 12 plants grown and harvested, and contain up to one ounce of concentrated cannabis.
The proposed Constitutional amendment would also provide that Oklahoma banks will not be penalized for servicing state-licensed cannabis businesses.
The initiative also includes protections for adults not to be penalized for “health care, housing, employment, public assistance, public welfare, parental rights, educational opportunity, extracurricular activities” and “licensing or authorized activities” such as firearm ownership and driving privileges as a result of legal cannabis activity.
Within these safeguards, the presence of THC metabolites in a person’s system could not be used as evidence of impairment.
Local governments would not be able to impose bans on the cultivation of marijuana at home, and any regulations they impose on the activity could not be an “undue burden.” Furthermore, there is no public ordinance on the public smoking of marijuana that could be more restrictive than what is currently in place for tobacco.
Existing medical cannabis licensees, as well as new retail licensees, would be able to start selling to adult consumers 60 days after the measure goes into effect. After 180 days, they could start distributing cannabis products to adults.
The same state departments that oversee the current medical cannabis program would be responsible for regulating the adult-use market.
It would impose a 10 percent excise tax on adult marijuana products, and the initiative provides that the legislature will be empowered to lower but not raise that tax rate.
The revenue from those tax dollars would go to the state general fund (40 percent), as well as the county governments where the retail sales occurred (30 percent) and municipal governments (30 percent). For unincorporated jurisdictions, the revenue would be split equally, 50 percent to the general fund and 50 percent to the counties.
60 days after the measure goes into effect, the tax rate on marijuana for registered cannabis patients would be waived.
It also states that state-licensed marijuana businesses cannot be prevented from engaging in interstate commerce if there is a change in federal law, or a court action, that authorizes such activity. If that happens, the legislature would be allowed to impose a 3 percent wholesale tax on cannabis exported across state lines.

Meanwhile, in the middle of the signature collection process, law enforcement leaders with the Oklahoma Chiefs Association and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. was raising concerns about cannabis.

—
It’s Marijuana Time tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelic and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters by pledging at least $25/month, you’ll get access to our interactive maps, charts, and audio calendars so you never miss a development.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracking and become a Patreon supporter to gain access
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Also in Oklahoma, lawmakers advanced a bill that was targeted in March Protecting the gun rights of state-registered medical marijuana patientsalthough federal law still prohibits cannabis users from possessing firearms regardless of patient status.

It would be another state bill introduced by a GOP lawmaker in January criminalizing the use of medical cannabis during pregnancy.

Photo by Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.

Marijuana Moment is made possible with the help of readers. If you rely on our pro-cannabis journalism to stay informed, consider a monthly Patreon pledge.

Cannabis News

New partnership to expand greenhouse drone distribution across Europe

Published

18 hours ago

February 6, 2026

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GeoCue welcomes MOST Robotics to its global distribution network. Based in Germany and serving customers throughout Germany, Austria and Switzerland, MOST Robotics will offer TrueView GO LiDAR solutions and LP360 software, from GeoCue, to surveying, construction, forestry, agricultural and industrial inspection professionals looking for a complete and reliable workflow from data capture to delivery.

Founded in 2021 by Valentin Möller and Lennart Stollberg, MOST Robotics builds on deep UAV experience since 2015, offering integrated turnkey drone and sensor solutions, supported by technical consulting and first-class customer support. Their team works closely with end users to ensure technology works in real-world conditions, from flight planning to endpoint cloud processing, a full-service company for individual solutions.

MOST Robotics is expanding its portfolio of handheld SLAM LiDAR and LP360 software to directly respond to customer needs, especially for projects where flight restrictions, dense vegetation or indoor environments make aerial collection difficult. With TrueView GO and LP360, customers can complement drone surveys with ground-based SLAM capture, process aerial LiDAR and produce high-quality photogrammetric output. This approach supports rapid and accurate classification of large data sets and the creation of highly accurate digital terrain models, helping to reduce office processing time while improving the final quality of delivery.

Valentin Möller, CEO of MOST Robotics, commented: “GeoCue makes UAV LiDAR and SLAM bridges in a way that matches how our customers work in the real world. We spend a lot of time in the field with customers, which gives us practical feedback and clear ideas on what needs to be improved. GeoCue is open to this kind of input, and we’re excited to help shape each of our customers’ missions.”

Samuel Flick, GeoCue’s European Sales Manager, added: “We are delighted to welcome MOST Robotics to the GeoCue distribution network. Their technical depth and customer-first approach make them a strong partner as we continue to grow the LiDAR market in Europe. We look forward to supporting their team as they expand access to the TrueView product line, including aerial, handheld and LiDAR 360 mobile device software.”

For more information:
MOST robotics
https://mostrobotics.com/

GeoCue
https://geocue.com/

Cannabis News

USDA-APHIS grants non-regulated status to two gene-edited hemp varieties

Published

2 days ago

February 5, 2026

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USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently issued regulatory status review responses for two new gene-edited hemp varieties, determining that they are not subject to federal regulation under 7 CFR part 340. Developed by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, these gene-edited plants have been found to have no increased risk of plant pests compared to conventional hemp. This federal clearance marks an important milestone in easing the path from laboratory to commercial cultivation of precision-bred industrial crops.

Badger PMR (Dust Resistant) has full dust resistance, and Badger Zero (Cannabinoid Free) is cannabinoid free. The main innovation involves the creation of hemp varieties that are unable to produce THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive compound found in cannabis. Using CRISPR gene-editing technology to turn off specific genes responsible for THC production, the UW-Madison team has solved a major hurdle for the industry. This genetic certainty prevents crops from being “hot” — the term used when THC levels accidentally exceed the legal limit of 0.3 percent — which previously forced farmers to destroy entire fields to comply with federal law.

Beyond THC removal, researchers have also engineered varieties with higher concentrations of CBG (cannabigerol), a non-psychoactive cannabinoid valued for its potential therapeutic benefits. These advances are expected to stabilize the hemp market, providing growers with reliable, high-value and legal-compliant varieties. With the regulatory green light from the USDA, these precision-bred hemp lines are poised to revitalize the industry, providing a safer and more profitable future for farmers across the United States.

For more information:
International Service for the Acquisition of Agricultural Biotechnology Applications
Email: (email protected)
isaaa.org/default.asp

Cannabis News

Kentucky Governor Announces Medical Marijuana Gummies Are Now Available, While Pushing Lawmakers To Approve New Qualifying Conditions

Published

2 days ago

February 5, 2026

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Kentucky’s governor is urging lawmakers to give more patients legal access to medical marijuana, announcing that cannabis gummies can now be purchased at state-licensed dispensaries.

Gov. Andy Beshear (D) said Thursday that his administration has sent a letter urging legislative leadership to pass a bill that lists ALS, Parkinson’s disease, Crohn’s disease, sickle cell anemia, fibromyalgia, glaucoma, terminal illnesses and other conditions as conditions for medical cannabis.

“In most other states that have a medical marijuana program, these are conditions that are covered, and conditions that are deemed appropriate by our board of physicians and counselors,” he said. “Expanding the list could help the approximately 430,000 Kentuckians who currently lack access but face these challenges.”

The governor said state officials are “making great strides” in expanding the medical marijuana program to “increase access for those who are already eligible.”

“We currently have 510 registered professionals and over 18,500 approved cards, and those numbers continue to grow,” Beshear said, adding that regulators are making “steady progress” in accepting businesses at every step of the cannabis supply chain.

“As the supply chain expands, patients are starting to see more options online,” he said. “We can announce that gummies are on the market in Kentucky and showing progress in communities across Kentucky.”

The governor’s latest update comes about a month after he took the podium and said “not happy” with the time it’s taken to roll out the state’s medical marijuana program—but predicts that the pace of patient access will “significantly increase” in 2026.

Also last month, Beshear said two more dispensaries will open their doors “once additional product becomes available.” The The state’s first medical cannabis plant was launched in December.

The governor, who has long championed cannabis reform, he anticipated a market launch that monthwhile claiming that medical marijuana will help thousands of patients find an alternative to opioids for pain management.

He at the end of October it passed the milestone of registering 15,000 patientsbut that has grown significantly in recent weeks.

Beshear previously acknowledged that “it’s taken longer than we would have liked” to sustain the industry since he signed off on legalizing medical marijuana in 2023.

Considering this delayed implementation, he signed an executive order this year to waive renewal fees for patients who get the cards so that they are not charged again before the stores open. And another order he signed to provide protections for qualified patients who obtain medical marijuana outside of Kentucky “will remain in place.”

Beshear announced separately that in May the state launched a new online directory that allows people to see where medicinal cannabis will open next to them

He noted that the state is working to provide access to patients “as soon as possible,” which includes speeding up the licensing process. Last January, so did the governor ceremoniously issued the first medical marijuana cards in the commonwealth.

Meanwhile, the governors sent a letter to Kentucky’s congressional delegation last yearurging them to “take decisive action to protect the constitutional rights of our law-abiding medical cannabis patients” by repealing the federal ban on possession of firearms by marijuana users.

Bipartisan Kentucky senators introduced similar legislation asked the federal representatives of the state to take corrective measuresBeshear said he agrees but would I would like to see even more significant changes at the federal level.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) warned Kentucky residents that in 2024, if they choose to participate in the state’s medical marijuana program, they will be prohibited from buying or possessing firearms under federal law.

Health professionals have been able to Patients began to evaluate the recommendations from the beginning of last December.

While there are currently no operational dispensaries for patients, Beshear also confirmed that an executive order he signed in 2023 will be in place in the interim, protecting patients. Those with medical cannabis purchased from licensed out-of-state retailers.

In the November 2024 election, Kentucky also saw more than 100 cities and counties pass local ordinances to allow medical cannabis businesses in their jurisdictions. The governor said the election results show that “the jury is no longer out” on the issue this is clearly supported by voters across party and geographic lines.

Marihuana Moment is made possible with the help of readers. If you rely on our pro-cannabis journalism to stay informed, consider a monthly Patreon pledge.