Oklahomans oppose unfettered access to marijuana, which was made clear by the failure of SQ820.

This is an opportunity for the Legislature to reexamine reforms of the medical marijuana industry to ensure the safe, legal free market that Oklahoma voters asked for when they approved State Question 788 in 2018.

SQ788 language was vague and set very few regulations, so when it passed, Oklahoma was left with some of the loosest regulations in the nation.

For example, SQ788 required that the state open the medical marijuana market just 30 days after the vote, so the industry opened with very few regulations. Most states take 4 to 6 years to fully implement medical marijuana markets. This puts Oklahoma right on track despite SQ788’s problematic requirement to quickly open the market.

Five years later, we’re still playing catchup to get a rein on the industry and deliver what Oklahomans voted for – a safe, legal free market.

On top of that, the influx of marijuana farms to rural Oklahoma has put significant stress on our rural electric and water services, which most areas are not equipped to handle.

There is such a high demand for utilities from marijuana production that there is little remaining for the farmers and ranchers that drive our economy and feed our state.

At the same time, an overabundance of producers and too few enforcement agents has led to increased black market activity in Oklahoma. To date, Oklahoma has seized over 600,000 pounds of illegal marijuana, deactivated over 800 illegal marijuana farms, and arrested 165 people.

Many people have a lot of concerns about how medical marijuana has seemed to be so out of control.

We elected officials at the Capitol agree that we need to catch up on putting guidelines in place on this. We also realize that there is a place for ‘state’ intervention, but there is also a role for cities and counties that we want to be sure not to overstep.

It will take time to get back and ahead of this. The House is working on a number of action steps that will help Oklahomans feel more secure and root out illegal activity in the marijuana industry. Here are a few of the those bills that we are looking at during this session.

First, House Bill 2061, authored by Rep. Hardin, is on the House floor calendar. It would provide $5 million to the County Sheriff’s Public Safety Grant Revolving Fund to perform the duties imposed upon OMMA and assist local law enforcement personnel.

House Bill 1616, authored by Rep. Worthen, passed the House floor 65-29. It requires any elected or appointed state, county, or municipal official to disclose any conflict of interest or ownership interest in the medical marijuana business to OMMA.

Last, Rep. McDugle authored House Bill 2146 on the House floor calendar. The measure requires that adult patients be under the care of a licensed Oklahoma physician, extends the validity of nonresident licenses from 30 days to 2 years, and increases the cost from $100 to $250.

Please reach out with your thoughts, comments or concerns regarding this legislation. This is where ‘We the people’ speak up! As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any concerns at 405-557-7390 or clay.staires@okhouse.gov.