Marijuana grows in a green house at Sage Farms in Tulsa County. The DEA is seeking a 30% increase in the amount of marijuana grown for research purposes in 2020. IAN MAULE/Tulsa World file
Marijuana is often grown from seeds that typically have a known lineage and genetics. The different kinds are known as strains, and each strain has unique combinations of cannabinoids. These diverse strains mean a patient can zero in on the marijuana that produces the specific chemical compounds that should be most effective at relieving their symptoms. Plants of specific strains can also be cloned to create new plants with the same chemical properties. Marijuana has two subspecies: sativa (generally known more for uplifting cerebral effects) and indica (known for a more sedating “body high”). Most strains comprise some combination of sativa and indica in various ratios.
Marijuana grown in Oklahoma is smoked in Tulsa. JOHN CLANTON/Tulsa World file
On June 26, 2018, 57% of Oklahoma voters approved State Question 788, which legalized marijuana for any medical use on a doctor's recommendation.
After Oct. 1, the 200,000th patient was licensed by the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, and nearly 7,000 business licenses have been granted.
The rules for implementation can be found at omma.ok.gov.
Officials thought about 80,000 patients, or about 2% of the state’s estimated population, would register in the first year of a legal medical marijuana program.
With 200,000 patients, Oklahoma's participation rate puts it near No. 1 among the 33 states that have some form of medical cannabis legislation in place. Click here to read more.
Medical marijuana generated more than $34.5 million in tax revenue through the end of September. The state assesses a 7% excise tax on medical marijuana in addition to state sales tax and any applicable local sales taxes. The state’s share goes toward running the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority; excess revenues are split between the general revenue fund for education (75%) and the Oklahoma State Department of Health for drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs.
As the state continues to receive patient applications, many are still trying to get educated on what is and is not be allowed under law.
For more than a year, the legality of Oklahoma’s medical cannabis program rested on the text of SQ788 and emergency rules approved by state agencies. But an extensive regulatory framework known as the “Unity Bill,” and accompanying bills, went into effect in summer 2019, creating new requirements for patients and business owners.
HB 2612 was largely the product of three months of meetings between industry members, advocates and a bipartisan, bicameral medical marijuana legislative working group. House Majority Floor Leader Jon Echols, R-Oklahoma City, was a primary sponsor, as was Sen. Greg McCortney, R-Ada, working group co-chairman.
Among marijuana law changes: Firearm ownership, access to patient info, more business requirements
With medical marijuana legal in Oklahoma, a lot of people with no cannabis experience are wondering about the basics.
Marijuana 101: A Q-and-A for those who've never inhaled
Gallery: Medical marijuana options if you don’t want to smoke it
Dozens of municipalities across the state have put in place local ordinances that would regulate medical marijuana in the months since SQ788 passed with 57% support.
When city councilors in Pawhuska met to discuss its proposed ordinance, which included "a number of places that you could not grow, sell, wholesale ... that was what you would see is the Broken Arrow approach," city attorney John Heskett told councilors. "And they got sued for that." The ordinance councilors ended up voting on was a less restrictive ordinance that would do little more than align city code with state law.
Many city governments have tried to adopt only limited regulations. However, some smaller municipalities across the state have taken a hardline approach and outright banned most commercial marijuana operations within their cities.
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Anna Codutti
Breaking News Editor
After earning a master's in news editing from the University of Missouri, I joined the Tulsa World copy desk in 2010. Send news tips to news@tulsaworld.com. Phone: 918-581-8481
