With the laws on marijuana changing each year from state to state, it can be difficult to navigate through all of the updates. We wanted to make things easy for you, so we put together the most recent changes on the Oklahoma Marijuana Laws. Start learning more below!
Status: Mixed
Decriminalized: No
Medical: Yes
Medical Marijuana Program Revised In Oklahoma
In March of 2019, the governor of Oklahoma, Kevin Stitt signed HB-2612 into law. This new bill revised the voted-in medical program. Some of the changes are going to be extremely beneficial, such as third party lab testing, but the patient protections are lacking.
The most notable provision is the one that protects patients from job loss if tested positive for medical marijuana, which, by the way, can stay in your system for up to a month.
The new bill includes an exemption for “positions of safety” including patient care, child care, or any job that requires driving a vehicle.
Another bill, SB-1030, included a provision on decriminalization which was passed by the Senate. This bill was supposed to reduce the fine for simple possession of marijuana to just $400.
Under the voted in medical marijuana law, anyone possessing up to one and a half ounces can state a medical condition, in order to lower the penalty to a misdemeanor, and a fine up to $400.
The Senate bill would have applied to those who didn’t state a medical condition. Unfortunately, the House adjourned without including the revised bill
Medical Marijuana Law Implemented in Oklahoma
In June of 2018, Oklahoma voters officially legalized medical cannabis, and since then, did it in record time. Oklahoma was the quickest to implement a fully functional medical marijuana program in the nation.
Two months after the successful vote, the heath department started to except applications for their newly implemented program.
Businesses, caregivers, and patients are all able to grow, and posses limited amounts of marijuana, purchased from the regulated businesses. One month later, the sales began!
Less than one year after Oklahoma enacted the medical program, they are already one of the biggest in the entire nation. According to the Medical Marijuana Authority, in April of 2019, Oklahoma had already issued licenses to 650 processors, 1,263 dispensaries, 2,361 growers, and 83,458 patients.
Possession in Oklahoma City Decriminalized
In September of 2018, the council in Oklahoma City approved reducing the offense for possessing cannabis with a fine up to $400.
Before this new law took effect, possession of marijuana could have landed you in jail for 6 months, and required you to pay a fine of $1,200.
Bill Citty, the Police Chief of Oklahoma City even backed the ordinance. He mentioned that it would help law enforcement to focus on harsher crimes.
Citing those for simple possession of marijuana is a waste of law enforcement resources. It can also lead to consequences that could haunt you for a lifetime. These can include receiving student aid, employment, housing, or business licenses.
Stay tuned for more updates to the Oklahoma Marijuana Laws.
