As you’ve seen in the news, the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority will stop processing applications for NEW grower, dispensary and processor licenses for up to two years beginning Aug. 1, 2022.
Current grower, dispensary and processor licensees are not included in the moratorium. Current licensees will be able to apply to renew their license beginning 60 days before the license expiration date using the online portal.
The moratorium takes effect on Aug. 1, 2022, and ends Aug. 1, 2024. OMMA’s executive director may end the moratorium earlier if they determine all pending license reviews, inspections or investigations are complete.
After Aug. 1, 2022, any licensee who allows a grower, dispensary or processor license to expire without submitting a renewal application cannot apply for a new one until the moratorium is over. Licensees who surrender a license after Aug. 1, 2022, may not apply for a new one until the moratorium is over.
Most applicants for new and renewed grower, dispensary and processor licenses may still resubmit a corrected license application once if the initial application is rejected after Aug. 1, 2022. Some circumstances require a denial, and other circumstances allow an additional chance to resubmit an application.
Applicants for a new or renewed grower, dispensary and processor license whose application is denied after Aug. 1, 2022, may not apply for a new one until the moratorium is over.
It’s possible an influx of new grower, dispensary and processor license applications before the moratorium will temporarily slow down OMMA’s business license processing times. OMMA will still meet the statutory requirement to process business license applications within 90 days.
The Legislature passed and Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a new state law this year requiring licensed growers to have separate licenses for indoor and outdoor grows.
Current licensees who have a combined indoor-outdoor grow will not be affected by the new license moratorium when the law requiring separate licenses goes into effect. Currently, licensed growers required to have both license types will be able to apply for the new license in June 2023. OMMA will provide updates on our website, in future newsletters to commercial licensees and on social media.
OMMA Executive Director Adria Berry discusses this topic and more in our latest episode of High Points below.
Data Migration
Metrc, the provider for Oklahoma's statewide seed-to-sale inventory tracking system, will be conducting data migration on Aug. 6 lasting approximately 21 days.
Please note that no action is required of Metrc users during this process. However, OMMA licensees will experience temporary outages with Metrc during this period. To keep outages as brief as possible, migration will occur after-hours or during slow usage periods.
Maintaining stringent safeguards and the security of licensee data is paramount. Thank you for your patience during this important process. If you have questions, please contact Metrc at support@metrc.com or by calling (877) 566-6505.
July 25 Certificate of Analysis Deadline
July 25 is the deadline for labs to enter COAs into Metrc for any grower or processor inventory tested outside of Metrc. Grower or processor inventory can be transferred to a dispensary’s inventory on or before July 25 without a COA if the testing information is entered into Metrc’s Notes section. Otherwise, any grower or processor inventory without a COA in Metrc needs to be retested after July 25. Licensees don’t have to use the same lab. Check out our flowchart on this process in the FAQ section of our seed-to-sale page.
Missed the Beginning Inventory Deadline?
Growers and processors who were fully credentialed in Metrc on or before May 26 but missed the Beginning Inventory deadline for external transfers can fill out a form online to request an extension. OMMA will contact you about next steps after you fill out the form. Note: This process is separate from any Notice of Monetary Penalty or other administrative action involving a business license. Any licensee who received a notice should follow those instructions.
ICYMI: Creating Test Samples and Reserve Samples
In case you missed it, Metrc sent out this bulletin to clarify the process for creating and submitting a test sample and reserve sample(s) for testing.
Test Batches and Remediation
It’s very important to order the correct test batch — and only the correct test batch — for the type of product you are testing. Also, if you are allowed to remediate product and do so, be sure to check the remediated box in Metrc and include the required information requested about the remediation method prior to submitting a test sample for post-remediation testing.
Can you tell the difference between vitamins and gummy candies?
If you can’t, neither can a child. More children are getting their hands on marijuana edibles, and for toddlers, the effects can be life-threating. Marijuana-related calls to the Oklahoma Center for Poison and Drug Information (OCPDI) regarding children have increased significantly.
In 2021, calls regarding children less than or equal to five years of age jumped to 211. This is over five times the number of calls received from 2010 to 2017 combined. Already in 2022, OCPDI has received calls about 156 children less than or equal to five years of age who have been exposed to marijuana. Reasons for the increase are unknown but may be related to the increased use of marijuana in the state, people feeling more comfortable reporting adverse effects related to marijuana use, and parents or family members not storing marijuana products up and away from children.
According to Kristie Edelen, assistant managing director of OCPDI, "Children may become unresponsive or very agitated. Often, children will have vomiting, an increase in heart rate and confusion after consuming marijuana. It is rare, but some children have had seizures and a low heart rate and blood pressure."
Children may mistake edible marijuana products like candy or cookies for regular food, and small children are at higher risk for overdose based on their weight. Many children (34.5%) who consume marijuana edibles require hospital admission due to the severity of their symptoms, and 7.8% of these children are admitted to critical care units.
To reduce the risk of injury or illness, please remind patients to store all marijuana products up and away from children just like medication or chemicals, and help them remember the following:
- Never call medicine "candy" in order to get a child to take it.
- Just because packaging is child-resistant doesn’t mean it is child-proof.
- Always keep marijuana-containing products, medicines, and household products up, away, and out of sight of young children.
Finally, please let patients know that pharmacists and registered nurses at the poison center are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at (800) 222-1222 to help if a child ingests a marijuana-containing product.
Testing Guide
Have questions about which tests are needed for your product? Use our testing guide. The guide walks you through the testing processes required for every type of product. For example, let’s say you’re a grower looking to transfer flower to a dispensary. You would need to follow the Harvest Batch testing process. Outlined in the testing process, you would see your harvest batch size can be up to 15 pounds. You would send a sample of your harvest batch to a licensed lab to test for pesticides, heavy metals, potency and more. Once it passes, the product can then be transferred to a dispensary.
Change of Ownership Process
Commercial licensees can transfer ownership of their license using the change of ownership process.
Reddit AMA
The next OMMA AMA is noon-1 p.m. July 29, and the tentative topic is labs and testing. Join us then!
View our Licensing and Tax Data webpage.
 
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