As more and more states and the federal government continue to deregulate marijuana, one state is moving to reverse course and shut down a sprawling medical marijuana industry that has contributed to a sharp rise in teen drug use, addiction, and serious health problems, as well as drug cartel activity, human trafficking, and foreign influence.

Last month, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt (R) called for voters in the Sooner State to pass a referendum to shut down the medical marijuana industry in the state, which was first legalized through a previous ballot measure in 2018 before Stitt became governor. If successful, Oklahoma would become the first state in the nation to repeal the legalization of medical marijuana.

The governor’s entreaty comes as a torrent of data continues to pour in on the health consequences of cannabis use. Just in the last three years, at least two major studies revealed that the risk of serious cardiac problems, including death from heart attack, rises by a factor of up to two for regular marijuana users. Other significant adverse health outcomes that are elevated as a result of the drug’s use include severe vomiting (known as cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, which 2.8 million Americans now suffer from), bronchitis, and emphysema.

During “Washington Watch with Tony Perkins” Tuesday, Stitt pointed out that Oklahoma’s legalization of medical marijuana has resulted in a vast increase in teenagers using the drug, partly as a result of messaging that exaggerated its “medicinal” properties.

“We know it’s harmful for young people,” he contended. “The stats are just very frightening — 73% of youth have increased use of marijuana now because they think it’s a medicine or it’s okay or it’s not as harmful.” Data shows that this massive uptick in teen use of cannabis will almost certainly lead to an epidemic-like increase in psychotic disorders. A study released last month found that marijuana use at a young age doubles the chances of schizophrenia, bipolar, depressive, and anxiety disorders surfacing by age 26. Other mental health problems associated with the drug include suicidal thoughts, memory loss, and deficiencies in decision-making and verbal learning skills.

Stitt further highlighted the plethora of marijuana products now being marketed to teens. “I’m frightened by the amount of kids that are doing the gummies and … the edibles. … And when you have legalized it, then young people think that it must be okay.”

Stitt contends that “Oklahomans were kind of sold a bill of goods” when voters passed the medical marijuana referendum in 2018. “[T]hey thought they were passing something that was going to help someone with chronic pain, and that was the only thing that could help them. But what actually happened is we have more dispensaries now than we have pharmacies. The industry is out of control. We grow 32 times more marijuana than actually is consumed legally, so we know it’s brought in cartel activity [as well as] Chinese influence buying land. It is not what Oklahomans thought that they were signing up for.”

In addition, Stitt related how the spread of marijuana use is a hinderance to job creation and leading to nightmares for employers as well as increasing the dangers of driving while under the drug’s influence.

“Whether you’re a forklift driver [or] all kinds of banking regulations against it, it is a really big, big problem when it’s illegal federally,” he explained. “And then you have these medical marijuana exceptions. Well, anybody with a hangnail can get a medical card now and then. How is an employer supposed to deal with that? They’re trying to keep their employees safe. A lot of times they’re truck drivers or CDL drivers. … But we know it’s inhibiting their ability to drive safely. So we had to pass a law last year to make it crystal clear that we will not allow you to [be] high in a car, even if it’s for ‘medical use.’”

Stitt argued that most voters in his state had good intentions when they approved medicinal marijuana. “Oklahoma is a very compassionate [state]. Most Americans are compassionate. And when you see the 32nd commercial that says, ‘Hey, this is going to help this young person or this cancer patient, this is the only thing that helped them from a pain management standpoint.’ Then we’re going to say, ‘Okay, that’s great. We want that.’ We assume it’s going to be medicine dispensed out of pharmacies. And then all of a sudden, bam, we started getting adversely affected.”

As for the prospects of a future ballot measure to repeal Oklahoma’s medical marijuana law, Stitt expressed optimism.

“We’ve [had] some great conversations with the House, the Senate,” he related. “They know it’s a problem. Oklahomans all over are calling our offices saying it’s a problem, and so I think we’ll get something back to the people. And if we do, I think they’ll do the right thing, and we’ll either remove it completely or we’ll actually regulate it properly.”