Oklahomans are Worried About Possible Changes to Marijuana Laws
Recent rumblings at the Oklahoma State House and Senate have medical marijuana users worried about changes they feel would negatively affect their medicinal experience.
Oklahoma Senate Bill 440 is a potential new law that seeks to limit the potency of THC in cannabis products.
From the bill:
An Act relating to medical marijuana; directing
promulgation of rules to impose limits on
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) potency of medical
marijuana and medical marijuana products; setting
certain limits on potency; prohibiting licensed
medical marijuana dispensary from selling medical
marijuana or medical marijuana product that exceeds
potency limits; providing for codification; and
providing an effective date.
All in all, legislatures want to impose a limit of 30% THC content in regular/smokable weed, allowing up to 60% THC content in products made from and with marijuana.
The growing number of opponents to this legislation complain that it will effectively cost more money to the end user to get the high medicinal dosage they need for their ailments. After all, business is business, and just dwindling potency will not likely equate to lower prices.
If passed into law, Oklahoma won't be the first state to impose potency limits, but an early adopter nonetheless.
Oklahoma Senate Bill 439 seeks to redefine/clarify ailments and issues that would qualify a patient for medical marijuana usage. Additionally, it aims to eliminate the growing popularity of online doctors' appointments in the process of obtaining a marijuana prescription... In other words, no more zoom or teledoc appointments for the sticky icky.
From the bill:
An Act relating to medical marijuana; amending 63
O.S. 2021, Section 420, as amended by Section 1,
Chapter 251, O.S.L. 2022 (63 O.S. Supp. 2022, Section
420), which relates to medical marijuana patient
license; prohibiting colocation of recommending
physicians for minor patient; requiring certain
attestation; clarifying certain requirement;
directing promulgation of certain rules; requiring
qualifying medical conditions for recommendations;
requiring in-person physical examination; providing
exception; and providing an effective date.
Opponents claim it's a step too far in the private patient/doctor relationship.
There are also plenty of shell bills slated in the Oklahoma House... but just like we experienced with the grocery tax elimination bill last year, these bills change drastically by the time they reach the governor's desk.
If anything, this places questions on the likely outcome of Oklahoma's recreational marijuana vote. It's on the ballot for March 7th, and while medical marijuana was an easy issue to predict for the Sooner State the outpouring of shenanigans over these bills might hint at a real uphill battle to convince voters to say yes to it.