Oklahoma sees 'drastic reduction' in number of criminal marijuana grows
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) and Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) came together Tuesday to share their success on shutting down hundreds of illegal marijuana operations across the state.
The agencies revealed the number of criminal grows has been reduced drastically.
"It is something that we are doing every day, they are working behind the scenes that a lot of times the press does not get to see all the effort that's going in to what we're doing to try to address the criminal elements that are trying to get a foothold in our state," said Mark Woodward, spokesperson for Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.
While at the same time, the OMMA is addressing Senate Bill 1737, which is a law that went into effect in 2022. It requires signage for establishments. OMMA has been actively revoking business licenses that do not meet requirements.
At the peak of Oklahoma’s medical marijuana program, OBN had 9,400 active growers in the state of Oklahoma. As of the beginning of this month, that number has dropped to 3,200.
“It really shows the success. We are by no means finished,” said Donnie Anderson, OBN Director.
On Tuesday morning, OBN released new drone video showing OBN State agents moving in on what they say is yet another illegal marijuana grow in Oklahoma.
This one was in Mayes County.
“It was a total criminal syndicate with ties to the East Coast... The suspects haven't been arraigned yet,” said Anderson.
While the agencies have been busy busting hundreds of illegal marijuana growers in our state, OMMA is cracking down on legitimate marijuana grow businesses that do not meet requirements of the new signage law that went into effect last year.
OMMA has petitions to revoke licenses from 165 marijuana growers in the state.
The law is very specific. It says businesses should have an 18 by 24-inch sign with readable black text on a white background. The sign must be posted around the perimeter of the property and visible from the road.
The sign must include the business name, address, phone number, OMMA license number and OBN registration number to qualify.
Those requirements are allegedly causing problems for several owners. Oklahoma Cannabis Business Attorney Jesse Kovacs says the firm has received dozens of calls from legitimate growers who have had their license revoked from OMMA.
“We have a client that has been cited for having part of their sign be a black background with white text. So perfectly visible, perfectly readable from where it needs to be read and everything. And clients thought that they were complying and then everything that they had to do. But now they've found out that apparently their license is being provoked by OMMA,” said Jesse Kovacs, Oklahoma Cannabis Business Attorney.
On Tuesday morning, the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority addressed the issue saying they are only following the law.
“When the legislature passed the signage bill, it was in black and white that our job is to revoke the license of any grower who does not have proper signage up. So there's no gray area. There's no opportunity for OMMA to make a choice there. It's in the law. It's what we do,” said Adria Berry, OMMA Executive Director.
Since 2021, OBN agents have shut down more than a thousand illegal marijuana farms, made more than 200 arrests and seized over 700-thousand pounds of black market marijuana.
Hearings will be happening in December for the grow owners who are at risk of losing their licenses.