Okla. group delivers medical marijuana petitions

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The organizer of an initiative petition drive for the use of medical marijuana in Oklahoma says he believes volunteers have fallen short of the number of signatures required to put the issue on the November ballot.

Volunteers for Tulsa-based Oklahomans for Health began delivering signed petitions to the Oklahoma Secretary of State’s Office on Friday. The group faces a Saturday deadline to gather the signatures of more than 155,000 registered Oklahoma voters to place the issue on the ballot.

But Chip Paul, who filed the initiative petition in April, says he believes organizers will fall short of the number needed. Paul says many of the signature petitions may be invalidated because they do not meet the format requirements of state law.

Paul says he plans to organize a new petition.