John Schroyer
Oklahoma cannabis authorities are set to revoke 165 medical marijuana grow permits for failure to comply with a new rule that mandates each business have a sign out front.
According to the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, the rule – which requires all cultivation operations to have a sign at the property perimeter that is at least 24 inches by 18 inches – went into effect a year ago, on Nov. 1, 2022. Signs must include the:
- Business name
- Physical address
- Phone number
- OMMA license number
Those detail must be displayed on a white background with black font at least two inches tall.
But 165 growers haven’t complied, and so on Halloween, the OMMA filed petitions to have those licenses yanked.
“When the legislature sent this mandate to the OMMA to implement, our inspectors out in the field immediately began noting which facilities were in compliance and which ones were not,” OMMA Executive Director Adria Berry said in a press release. “As a regulatory body, it’s our job to ensure the licensed medical marijuana industry is in compliance with state laws and regulations.
“Consistent regulation is essential for shaping a balanced and well-regulated cannabis market in our state. Kudos to the thousands of businesses out there that took the time to put up proper signage,” she added.
The move likely is part of an ongoing crackdown that Oklahoma regulators launched following the failed recreational marijuana ballot measure in March. That effort wants to get the formerly free-wheeling MMJ industry more under control and force bad actors out of the industry.
The move also comes as the Oklahoma cannabis market has contracted significantly already this year, down to about 10,000 companies from 14,000.
Even with the loss of 165 cultivators, the Oklahoma market will still be saturated. According to OMMA, as of Nov. 1 this year, there were 5,434 licensed medical cannabis growers, another 2,611 dispensaries, 1,585 processors, and 127 transporters.
