Oklahoma’s medical marijuana laws got a going over in the state House of Representatives on Wednesday, with more than a dozen bills approved and sent to the Senate.
The measures included a moratorium of up to two years on new business licenses, steep fee increases for large grow operations, a new procedure for obtaining business licenses and authorization for the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority access to grower water and electric usage records.
Most of the 18 medical marijuana-related bills considered Wednesday passed without much ado, but one — on packaging — failed.
The bills are an effort to patch up what has proved to be a leaky regulatory framework that has helped make Oklahoma a haven for illegal marijuana growing operations camouflaged by legal grows.
Among the bills passed Wednesday:
• House Bill 2179, by Rep. Scott Fetgatter, R-Okmulgee, would create a tiered licensing system for growers, and calculates the annual fee for larger and more sophisticated operations on square footage.
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Growers currently pay a $2,500 annual fee regardless of size. HB 2179 would calculate the annual fee for those larger operations based on canopy size and type of grow.
• HB 3208, by Rep. Rusty Cornwell, R-Vinita, applies a moratorium of up to two years on new medical marijuana business licenses, beginning Aug. 1.
• HB 3530, by Rep. David Hardin, R-Stilwell, sets up a process by which the OMMA would pay the salaries of designated sheriff’s deputies assisting in medical marijuana enforcement.
• HB 3734, by Fetgatter, puts in place a new licensing process requiring more financial and ownership information.
• HB 4056, by Rep. T.J. Marti, authorizes collection of water and electricity usage information for the purpose of comparison with reported production.
The bills now go to the Senate, where they face an uncertain fate given that body’s previous reluctance to take up medical marijuana reform.
Marijuana 101: A Q-and-A for those who’ve never inhaled
How does a patient consume marijuana?
Flower: The buds are ground into loose material that can be rolled like a cigarette or smoked in any of the many varieties of pipes designed for delivering an inhalable smoke. Smoking is not typically considered an appropriate delivery method for medical marijuana as the smoke itself can have some harmful effects. Flower also may be used in specially manufactured vapor devices, like smoking without the smoke.
Concentrates: Most are inhaled as vapor (vaporizers can be large, boxy devices or as small as pens) without direct exposure to an open flame. Some oils can be consumed with food or alone by oral delivery.
Edibles: “Weed brownies” contain no actual flower. Most are created by infusing fat (oil or butter to be used in baked goods) with activated THC, known as “cannabudder.” Concentrates may also be made into edible candies such as lollipops and gummies.
Are there different kinds of marijuana?
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.
