Addressing medical marijuana issues

One of the top priorities this legislative session has been addressing problems that have arisen since the state’s medical marijuana industry was approved by voters in 2018. While this has been a welcome new revenue source for the state, it’s also led to many public safety and other issues because the state question was so vague. It forced the Legislature to quickly create a framework for a massive industry instead of being able to take the time to study other successful state models and figure out every detail before approving a new industry. 

Because a complete legal framework wasn’t in place when the industry launched, we’ve now found ourselves with more dispensaries than California, Colorado and Oregon combined. We’re also becoming renowned for having more than 8,300 grows, which is seven times more than California and considerably more than the eight in Arkansas. We’re being referred to as the Wild West of the industry, which sums up the laundry list of issues that must be addressed as quickly as possible. 

Public safety has become the top concern as the state has been flooded with illegal grows, black market sales, questionable land grabs, increased theft, violence, and human trafficking. Last session, we approved additional funds to hire more law enforcement officers, and many bills are in the works to increase fines and penalties to further support this effort, including legislation to increase the fine for the first offense to $400 for someone with a medical marijuana card illegally giving an unlicensed individual product and then to at least $1,000 for doing it a second time. Another bill will increase the fine to $5,000 for the first-time offense of unauthorized sells or transfers of product to unlicensed individuals by licensed businesses, and subsequent offenses will be increased to a $15,000 penalty. Further violations could result in license revocation for all parties.

Legislation is also working its way through that would separate the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) from the state health department. Given the sheer size and high level of criminal activity taking place in the industry, the OMMA needs more power to regulate and enforce the law. By allowing them to be autonomous, they’ll be better able to control illegal activity while protecting legitimate businesses.

Last week, the governor signed a bill prohibiting commercial grows from being within 1,000 feet of private or public schools. The new law doesn’t apply to existing businesses. I’ll discuss more medical marijuana industry bills next week. 

In addition to work on legislation, I was happy to welcome visitors from the district to the Capitol. Karen LaNell-Taylor, MS, RN, of Rush Springs served as Nurse of the Day on March 22. Last week, I also got to meet two extremely bright young men, East Central University student Jacob Mantooth from Lindsay and USAO student Joseph Ummel from Blanchard, who were here for Research Day. I also met with the legislative team from Duncan Public Schools. 

At our Legislative Women’s Caucus, I hosted a panel to discuss the status of long-term care in Oklahoma. Former cabinet secretary Steve Buck with Care Providers Oklahoma and Melissa Holland with the Oklahoma Assisted Living Association visited with us about the ongoing staffing shortages, funding and unfunded mandates coming down from the federal government, and how it all plays into what we’re seeing in the industry in our state.  

Last Tuesday, I attended the Rural Electric Co-Op (REC) Youth Banquet in Lindsay, where the REC gave over $10,000 in scholarships to area students and awarded six students with trips to Washington D.C. and Colorado for conferences to learn about energy co-ops across the country. Finally, last Wednesday evening, I also had the honor of speaking at the National Technical Honor Society induction ceremony at Mid-America Technology Center. I want to thank these organizations for letting me participate in their special events.

If you have any questions or concerns on legislative matters, please contact me at the Capitol. Please write to Senator Jessica Garvin, State Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd. Room 237, Oklahoma City, OK, 73105, email me at Jessica.Garvin@oksenate.gov or call (405) 521-5522.