Yo, peeps! Listen up! Over 150 Oklahoma medical marijuana shops just got hit with some major fines, and they ain’t happy about it. These dispensaries received letters from state regulators sayin’ that they owe thousands of dollars ’cause they didn’t follow the state’s medical cannabis rules. And get this, some of ’em might even lose their licenses! Damn, it’s a mess out there in Oklahoma City.
These letters were sent out recently, and one of ’em was actually shared with High Times. The shop owners found out that they allegedly made illegal transactions between January and May of this year. Now they gotta appear in court in November to answer for these violations. Rob Speight, one of the dispensary owners, was shocked when he got the letter and has no idea how he’s gonna pay the fine.
Speight said, “They say I’m gettin’ charged $5,000 for sellin’ more than 84 grams of weed in one go.” But here’s the kicker, the letter doesn’t even say when this supposed violation happened. Speight claims that they never intentionally go over the legal limit and if they do, they just split it into two transactions. It ain’t rocket science!
Now let me break it down for ya. According to Oklahoma’s medical marijuana laws, patients can only buy up to 84.9 grams of weed (that’s like 3 ounces), or 28.3 grams of concentrates, or 72 ounces of edibles. They can also grow up to six plants. So if a transaction goes over these limits, it’s against the rules and the shop owners are lookin’ at some serious fines.
Jed Green, director of Oklahoman’s for Responsible Cannabis Action, met with officials from the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) to get more info on these letters and rule breakin’. He said that this whole situation got the business owners shook. They’re tryin’ to find one violation out of thousands of transactions, and it ain’t easy. Green also mentioned that there might be some technical issues with OMMA’s tracking system that caused these violations. We talkin’ glitches, y’all!
The letters make it crystal clear what the consequences are gonna be. On the first violation, you gotta cough up $5,000. But if you mess up again, it’s gonna cost ya $15,000. The letter shared with High Times mentioned three violations, so that’s a whopping $35,000 in fines! Some dispensary owners are scared this could ruin their businesses. They can’t afford to pay these fines, let alone keep up with all the other permits and stuff they gotta pay for.
Cynthia Myers, who owns three dispensaries, said, “This is a crisis! They’re fining us so much that we might have to shut down. It’s takin’ away our livelihoods.” Myers has been in this game for five years and she doesn’t have thirty grand just lyin’ around. It’s a tough spot for these shop owners.
But here’s where it gets real ugly. OMMA’s public relations manager, Porsha Riley, said that some dispensaries might even lose their licenses! Damn, they ain’t playin’ around. She said, “We’ve filed petitions against 161 licensed dispensaries for sellin’ more than the legal limit. Outta those 161 cases, 39 of ’em could lose their licenses and get fined; the other 122 just face fines.” OMMA wants to keep the medical market legit and prevent any shady stuff from happenin’.
Speight gotta hit up court on November 8 to defend himself against this alleged violation. He’s gotta hire a lawyer and everything, but he still don’t know what exactly he did wrong. It’s all messed up, man.
These letters say that if your license gets snatched, you can’t apply for a new one for five whole years. Bri Padilla, executive director of The Chamber of Cannabis, said that some dispensary owners reached out for help with compliance issues before they got these damn letters, but they didn’t get any support. That ain’t cool! Padilla wrote to High Times sayin’, “Operators and lawmakers have been askin’ for help since January, and now they’re gettin’ fined and shut down ’cause of software glitches. That’s messed up and needs to be investigated.”
So there you have it, folks. Over 150 dispensaries in Oklahoma are fightin’ these fines and potential license revocations. It’s a battle between the state regulators and the shop owners, and only time will tell who comes out on top. Stay tuned for more updates on this crazy rollercoaster ride in the world of medical marijuana!
And that’s it from your boy, Dan, keepin’ it real in the streets of Oklahoma City. Peace out!