Oklahoma’s Ballot Battles: What SQ 836 Means for SQ 837 and Cannabis Reform

Big news dropped out of the Oklahoma Supreme Court this week. State Question 836 just beat its legal challenge with a unanimous 8–0 ruling. That’s rare in our state’s political climate, and it sent a jolt through everyone watching the ballot scene.

Here’s the rundown in plain English. SQ 836 is the “open primaries” measure. If voters eventually pass it, Oklahoma would ditch its current closed-party primary system in favor of a top-two open primary. That means no matter your party, you’d see all candidates on one ballot, vote for whoever you want, and the top two move on to November. It’s pitched as a way to open things up, give independents more voice, and shake loose the grip of party insiders.

But the bigger twist here isn’t just about primaries. The Court also threw down a temporary stay on Senate Bill 1027, the Legislature’s recent attempt to make the citizen petition process harder. SB 1027 is the kind of law written to choke out grassroots efforts—forcing stricter rules on where signatures can come from, who can gather them, and how campaigns have to report. The Court basically said, hold up, we’ll sort this out later. In the meantime, initiatives like SQ 836 and SQ 837 can start gathering signatures under the old rules.

That’s the part that matters most for us. SQ 837 is the measure that could finally legalize adult-use cannabis in Oklahoma. It’s the people’s shot at ending prohibition in a state where cannabis culture is already alive, thriving, and part of our daily lives. Without this stay, 837 would have had to fight through the new restrictions, more hoops, more money, more chances for politicians to strangle the process. Now, at least for this window, it’s a fair fight.

Of course, there’s a catch. SQ 836 will now launch its signature drive, and that means competition for paid circulators, volunteers, and attention. Signature-gathering in Oklahoma isn’t cheap, and two major petitions running at the same time means the marketplace just got tighter. But here’s the thing: movements aren’t won on technicalities alone. They’re won because people believe.

And Oklahomans do believe in fairness, in freedom, and in cannabis reform that reflects the reality we already live. SQ 837 is that reform.

Today’s ruling is good news. It proves the Court isn’t just rubber-stamping every political barrier lawmakers throw in our way. It gives our side breathing room to start collecting signatures without SB 1027’s boot on our neck. But it also means the clock is ticking. 837 needs people, your voice, your energy, your signature, if it’s going to make the ballot.

This is the moment where we either step up or let another chance pass us by. And I don’t know about you, but I’m not interested in passing up the chance to change Oklahoma’s story.