Oklahoma City — On the day Oklahoma voters went to the polls to decide whether to legalize medical marijuana through State Question 788, a behind-the-scenes campaign to prohibit the sale of smokable products already was underway.

The public didn't learn that a ban on selling some forms of marijuana was even a possibility until a coalition of health professional groups and agencies held a news conference on July 9. The next day, the Board of Health voted to ban the sale of smokable forms of marijuana and to require dispensaries to hire pharmacists — also one of the health groups' priorities.

The seemingly sudden action touched off widespread public speculation about where the regulations had come from, and why they weren't part of a draft posted online ahead of the Board of Health meeting. It also led to two lawsuits by pro-marijuana groups, challenging the regulations themselves and alleging violations of the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act.

Dozens of emails obtained by The Oklahoman through an open records request show health groups had pushed for the two amendments for weeks, even before voters went to the polls.