Your turn: Do you support state question on recreational marijuana?

Last week, we asked readers to weigh in on whether they support State Question 820, which, if passed on March 7, would legalize recreational marijuana for Oklahomans ages 21 and older. Here are some of their responses:

Recreational marijuana access would not help veterans

"Let me be clear: I don’t really care what you put in your body. That is your prerogative, and if marijuana is your drug of choice, so be it. But I do work with recovering addicts, and nearly all of them will tell you that weed was their gateway drug. I will continue to help them all I can to fight their way back to a productive life. It’s what I can do.

However, I am a veteran, and I know many more veterans and work with them. What I can’t abide by is someone selfishly lying about veterans. A few days ago, I received a mailer from YesOn820 extolling the virtues of reefer and how VA doctors can’t prescribe it because of the current Oklahoma law. This is such a blatant raft of lies and deceit I just can’t stomach it. Enacting State Question 820 will not change federal law, and VA doctors will still be unable to, and more than likely wouldn’t prescribe it even if they could. If veterans want a drug for pain, they can pay a nominal fee to get a medical marijuana license from a doctor, just like everyone else. What will never happen is a VA doctor prescribing a drug for pain, legal or not. The downside of using cannabis for pain is certainly not worth the upside. Too much to go into here, but do your research. Remember that the pain-relieving substance in marijuana is not the THC, but the cannabidiol by-product (CBD), which has been legal for years — it is nonaddictive, has no significant side effects and is a pain-relieving drug. And it can be bought across the counter. But again, don’t believe me unless you do the research yourself. But what about the tax revenue? To that, I say, what other currently illegal activities can we tax to increase state revenue? What about murder for hire? Obviously not, but where do you draw the line? What else are they lying about?

Veterans deserve our sympathy and our help. Yes, many suffer from chronic pain and PTSD. And many kill themselves every month to escape from those conditions. There is no evidence that weed helps with either one. And a 'yes' on State Question 820 still won’t let them obtain it from the VA. The organization YesOn820 should be ashamed of themselves and how they deprecate the memory of some of the finest individuals I have known who lived, fought and died under our flag. The ones left behind who are now desperately trying to fight their way home. Shame on these frauds."

— Steve Gardner, Ada

Recreational marijuana poses risk to children

"In the 1970s, I rented an apartment in an old house that had been partitioned off to make two apartments. When an older man moved into the other apartment, I noticed smoke coming through the cracks around the walls. At first, I thought it was cigarette smoke, which I had been forced to breathe for years at work, but this smell was different. It had a sweetish, pungent and nauseating smell. To keep the smoke and smell out, I placed masking tape over the cracks around the wall. I later learned that the man was smoking marijuana.

With a sigh of relief, I read that cigarette smoking, especially among youth, has reached an all-time low. But now, with those who stand to become rich pushing the legalization of recreational marijuana, we will all have to start breathing smoke again — this time marijuana. Despite laws, smokers will continue to smoke around their children, subjecting their developing brains to the harmful substances in marijuana.

Please, for the children's health, vote NO on March 7 on State Question 820, which would legalize recreational marijuana."

— Ed Koonce, Mustang

Marijuana prohibition does not make Oklahoma safer

"I was born and raised and still live in my hometown of Stillwater, OK.

Marijuana prohibition for adults is clearly wrong. Criminal penalties would make sense if plants were radioactive or explosive. Instead, we pay drug agents to hide in bushes, jump out of bushes and arrest people for smoking bushes!

We can fix Oklahoma’s outdated marijuana law by voting YES on SQ 820. It allows adults 21+ to use marijuana legally.

I believe criminal law should make society healthier and safer. Arresting marijuana users does not meet that standard. It is a dysfunctional law. It wastes public funds, profits unregulated dealers, causes social conflict and spreads paranoia.

Oklahoma’s medical marijuana consumers are living evidence that marijuana should be less restricted. Thousands of Oklahomans are consuming marijuana regularly and behaving safely. We have the receipts to prove it!

Why should the average adult waste time and money to get a doctor’s approval? Why should Oklahoma adults be on a special list just to use marijuana? We don’t have to do that for more toxic substances like alcohol and tobacco. Proof of age should be good enough.

I still fully support Oklahoma’s medical marijuana program. Many people will only try and benefit from marijuana if their doctor approves. Children can only be safely treated through medical marijuana. I totally agree with that restriction being maintained.

Marijuana is an amazing medicine, a holy sacrament and a delight of festivity.

Please vote YES on SQ 820."

— Jeff Pickens, Stillwater

Marijuana taxes aren't living up to the hype

"One of the early arguments for legalizing marijuana in Tina Jennings' column was the economic impact on the state. Every time I see such a claim, I am skeptical. Legalizing betting on horse racing was supposed to be a boon. So was liquor by the drink. So was casino-style gambling. None of those 'vice taxes' lived up to the revenue predictions. None solved the problems the revenue stream was supposed to solve.

The old saying is that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome. You may have reasons to vote for legalization, but expecting the taxes from legalized marijuana sales to be a panacea that solves our problems should not be among them."

— Rick Jackson, Moore

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Your turn: Oklahomans weigh in on recreational marijuana measure