Oklahoma's Secretary of State has given the go-ahead for supporters of an initiative petition to decriminalize marijuana to begin collecting signatures Wednesday.

But the petition's backer is being held in the Tulsa County jail for the next eight months, until after the 90-day signature-gathering window closes.

Self-proclaimed Tulsa activist Paul Tay was convicted last month on a misdemeanor charge of outraging public decency and was sentenced to serve nine months in jail and pay fees of $500. The conviction stems from a July 2019 incident in which Tay wore a sex toy attached to a bike helmet on his head and carried a sign offering lewd acts in exchange for money.

Tay filed proposed State Question 808 in response to another initiative petition that seeks to legalize recreational marijuana in Oklahoma. Many in the marijuana community have dismissed Tay's petition, partly because of its substance and partly because of Tay's colorful history.