Coronavirus is currently having a multi-million dollar impact on the state budget. One legislator said that the ideal solution might be to legalize recreational marijuana. Representative Scott Fetgatter (R) Tulsa explained that the job losses arising from COVID-19 coupled with low oil prices leave the state with over $220 million in the red. Moreover, there is an additional $250 million in the red for 2021.
Fetgatter said:
“With the current situation with oil prices being down, COVID-19, the economic impacts from those things, I just am wondering if it wouldn’t be a good idea to have a discussion in the legislature about a full access program adult use over 21 alongside our medical program.”
Fetgatter explained under his plan that those with medical marijuana licenses would see a decrease in taxes. This strategy has worked in Colorado, where the recreational and medical marijuana sales hit a record $1.75 billion in sales in 2019. He added:
“Colorado brought in $300 million in tax revenue and license fees last year in the state coffers. In the first year, we legitimately could see $100 million a year in increases rendered to the state of Oklahoma.”
Senator Ron Sharp (R) of Shawnee opposed the proposition terming it as a bad idea. He said that the laws in the state are already so lax, recreational marijuana is already readily available in the black market currently. Besides, he explained that it might lead to a surplus of cannabis and an increase in black market sales.
Sharp said:
“When you have farmers overproducing, they’re going to want to sell that. When you have a dispensary that has too much marijuana, they’re going to try to slip it out the backdoor. It’s just not a very feasible idea.”
