Oklahoma’s medical cannabis program continues to grow in leaps and bounds, with a staggering number of the state’s residents now registered.
The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) recently published the following updated statistics, current as at July 1.
- 151,479 patient applications received. 146,381 approved.
- 1,223 caregiver applications received. 958 approved.
- 6,118 business applications received. 3,397 grower, 905 processor and 1,605 dispensary licenses approved.
When we last reported on these figures back in March, 63,647 patients had been approved – so the number has more than doubled in under 4 months. The number of dispensary licenses has increased by close to 400. Again, it’s a phenomenal level of work that’s been carried out by the Authority to process that many applications. It was only in June 2018 that Oklahoma voters legalized medical marijuana – applications started being accepted a couple of months later and sales around a month after that.
Given Oklahoma’s population of an estimated 3,948,950, this means around 3.7% of all residents in the state have been approved for the program.
Driving this uptake are a relatively simple registration and review process and the fact the state doesn’t have the very restrictive qualifying conditions some other states have. Doctors can recommend medical marijuana for patients in any instance where they believe it will be useful in treating or managing a condition.
A wide range of products are permitted in Oklahoma; although smokable, vaporized, vapable and e-cigarette products used by a registered patient are subject to the same restrictions for tobacco in the state.
Single purchases are limited to three ounces of usable marijuana, one ounce of marijuana concentrate, seventy-two ounces of medical marijuana products, six mature plants, and/or six seedlings.
The program has been providing a nice boost for state coffers; close to $10.7 million dollars to June. There is a 7% tax on retail medical marijuana sales by a dispensary, the proceeds of which must be remitted to the Oklahoma Tax Commission each month – so it’s a very regular source of revenue.
Further information on Oklahoma’s program can be found on the OMMA web site.
