Regulation
Gone Rogue? The Unfolding of Oklahoma’s Green Rush
Oklahoma became the 30th state to legalize medical marijuana when voters through a referendum passed State Question 788 (Medical Cannabis Initiative) in 2018. The state was quick to roll out a medical marijuana program with very lax laws compared to its predecessor states. Obviously, it did not take a long time before dispensaries became rather ubiquitous in the Sooner State.
Currently, it is estimated that Oklahoma has issued roughly 376,000 licenses to patients. This means that about 1 in every 10 adults in Oklahoma is licensed to consume medical cannabis.
This is quite surprising for a red- state which is has been very conservative in regards to drugs. The state is now considered to have a very hands-off approach to cannabis regulation, choosing to instead focus on the investment opportunities that the herb presents.
The Green Rush in Oklahoma and Its Aftermath
Oklahoma has several things going for it when it comes to cannabis. Cheap land is one of them, and even getting a license to cultivate cannabis is relatively affordable compared to other states that have legalized cannabis. Consumers of medical cannabis abound, and to make it better, gaining entry into the medical marijuana program is quite easy. Unlike other states the barriers are few and far between. To cap it all, the government has seemingly “resigned to fate” and allowed the industry to self-regulate. It is reported that to date, the state has issued about 12,000 cannabis-related business licenses. All these factors have compounded to birth the green rush in Oklahoma.
Given how efficiently the state rolled out its MMJ program, it was easy to brand Oklahoma as the model state for medical cannabis. But as the industry continues to unfold, the cracks on the walls have become very evident. The lax regulations that favor cannabis growers and producers have now become a pain in the neck for regulators who are charged with the responsibility of keeping tabs on the industry.
State officials have been overwhelmed and so far have only managed to inspect only a quarter of the licensed marijuana businesses in the state.
According to Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, the language used on the 2018 ballot initiative “tied their hands” and made it very difficult to regulate the industry. Now it appears that lawmakers have to sit and watch helplessly as the wild green rush ravages through the Sooner State.
