Rep. Rusty Cornwell, R-Vinita, has filed legislation to temporarily pause the issuance of commercial medical marijuana licenses until existing facilities are fully in compliance with state law.

House Bill 3208 would sunset the moratorium after two years but allow the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) to implement a moratorium on licenses as they deem necessary.

As of Jan. 6, OMMA reported 12,197 active commercial licenses, a 22% increase from 9,987 in Jan. 2021.

“Since 2018, Oklahoma has seen a huge number of commercial medical marijuana grows and facilities flooding into our communities,” he said. “In the initial rush to roll out a system for granting commercial licenses, we’ve failed to enforce their compliance with state law.”

Cornwell said that many land purchases for these facilities are completed with cash, leading to constituents’ worries about potentially laundering illegal drug money for illegal facilities.

“We need to put a stop to these illegal behaviors in our communities now and ensure that licensed facilities are legal and safe,” Cornwell said. The bill also prohibits the transfer of licenses or selling of facilities if that license or facility has a current violation.