Oklahoma rural coalition announces opposition to SQ 820 | News

Oklahoma rural coalition announces opposition to SQ 820 | News

Three of the state’s main agriculture organizations accrued March 1 for a press convention opposing State Question 820 in Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma Farm Bureau, the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, and American Farmers and Ranchers strongly oppose the state query showing on ballots Tuesday, March 7. Members of all 3 organizations imagine the legalization of leisure marijuana use might be destructive to rural Oklahoma and Oklahomans around the state.

Rodd Moesel, OKFB president, stated the overpowering sentiment from the organizations’ individuals on Oklahoma’s marijuana trade.

“Each of us has spent a disproportionate amount of time hearing from our members with concerns about marijuana and the impact within their rural communities,” stated Moesel. “A lot of times that gets lost in the urban environment, but in the rural environment, a lot of these changes have showed up very dramatically and have had a big factor in the fabric of many of our rural communities.”

Moesel famous the numerous affect SQ 820 may have on Oklahoma’s adolescence.

“Our members do a lot of work with youth groups, so we are particularly concerned about our young people and very worried about the impact the increasing availability and access to marijuana might have on our young people across the state and in our rural communities,” he stated.

Byron Yeoman, OCA president, echoed the affect the state query would have on Oklahoma’s rural communities.

“The Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association opposes State Question 820 because it invites even more marijuana activity to our rural communities, and we must protect our rural way of life from out-of-state and foreign interests that do not have the best interests of our state at heart,” stated Yeoman.

Scott Blubaugh, AFR president, underscored the tension that higher marijuana use would have on Oklahoma’s agriculture trade, together with tying up precious Oklahoma farmland and posing endured conversation demanding situations with neighboring develop operations forward of making use of herbicides and different land stewardship practices.

“We have seen the negative impact the rapid growth of the unregulated medical marijuana industry has had on Oklahoma agriculture and the rural communities,” stated Blubaugh. “We have seen a rise in farming challenges, and we have seen a strain on our rural electric and our rural water utilities. We have also seen a rise in crime. We oppose State Question 820 because additional growth in Oklahoma’s marijuana industry will mean additional difficulties for our farmers and ranchers.”

All 3 organizations are individuals of the “Protect Our Kids – No on SQ 820” coalition and inspire Oklahomans to vote no on the polls on March 7.

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