OMMA Commercial Licensing Updates: October 2024

Oklahoma State Department of Health sent this bulletin at 10/17/2024 10:52 AM CDT

Senate Bill 1939 Grace Period

Effective Nov. 1, Senate Bill 1939 will change commercial license renewal application time frames as listed below. Note: There will be a 120-day grace period for licensees with expiration dates between Nov. 1, 2024, and March 1, 2025. Under this grace period, applications will be submitted under current OMMA process (licensees must submit renewal applications before their expiration dates to be considered "timely"). All other licensees with expiration dates post-March 1, 2025, must submit renewal applications pursuant to the graphic below:

OMMA Boosts Cannabis Compliance Efforts with National Certifications

This month, teams across the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) earned national certifications that will enhance regulatory efforts and promote public health and safety.

The national certifications are a first for the state agency charged with regulating and licensing nearly 10% of Oklahoma’s population.

Over 100 OMMA staff members earned certifications from the Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation’s (CLEAR) National Certified Investigator and Inspector Training (NCIT) program. The NCIT program consists of 10 structured learning modules that increase OMMA staff’s expertise in key areas of regulation and inspection, including:

Professional Conduct
Principles of Administrative Law
Investigative Process
Principles of Evidence
Evidence Collection, Tagging and Storage
Interviewing Techniques
Investigator Safety
Overview of Inspections and Inspection Procedures
Report Writing
Testifying in Administrative and Criminal Proceedings

The certifications build upon an already solid regulatory foundation established by OMMA. Over the last several years, OMMA has led several key initiatives, including the implementation of body cameras worn by inspectors in the field and creating partner agency trainings for inspectors and investigators. These efforts, coupled with the recent certifications, position OMMA as a leader in the medical cannabis regulatory field, driving innovation and ensuring the highest standards of oversight.

“The NCIT program not only reinforces best practices across our organization, but it also strengthens OMMA’s commitment to innovation in regulating the medical cannabis industry,” said OMMA Executive Director Adria Berry. “By enhancing the investigative, legal and regulatory capabilities of our staff, OMMA will continue to ensure public safety and foster a responsible, forward-thinking medical cannabis program in Oklahoma.”

OMMA teams participate in the CLEAR NCIT program.

OMMA teams participate in the Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation’s (CLEAR) National Certified Investigator and Inspector Training (NCIT) program. Photo credit: OMMA

Quality Assurance Laboratory

OMMA is on track to open a quality assurance (QA) laboratory in early calendar year 2025. Mandated by Senate Bill 813 (2023), the QA lab is a crucial step to increasing the safety of marijuana and marijuana products by addressing issues like lab variation, lab shopping and THC inflation. Through stricter testing requirements and round robin tests designed to identify lab testing outliers by our private labs, we'll ensure a higher level of accuracy, consistency, and overall patient health and safety. Oklahomans deserve to trust the products they consume; our lab will provide the oversight needed to fulfill this promise.

Streamlined Verification Process for COOs

OMMA recently implemented a new process for verifying the authenticity of Certificates of Occupancy (COOs) and COO Attestations:

Verification: OMMA identifies the location and Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) when the license application is received.
Outreach: An email is sent to the AHJ to confirm the authenticity of the COO attestation.
Follow-Up: To ensure timely verification, follow-up emails are sent weekly.
Approval: If the AHJ confirms authenticity of the COO attestation, this area of the license application is approvable, provided all other requirements are met.
Jurisdiction: If the AHJ indicates the licensee is outside their jurisdiction or does not have an application on file, the verification process is initiated with the State Fire Marshal.

Regulatory Reminders

OBNDD Registration Deadline
All Oklahoma medical marijuana businesses must possess a valid OMMA commercial license and an active registration with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (OBNDD) to possess or handle medical marijuana or medical marijuana product. The deadline for OBNDD's annual registration is Oct. 31. Please contact OBNDD for more information.

Check Your Licensing Portal Frequently
Please remember to check your licensing portal frequently. While we aim to provide timely email updates, it's imperative to actively manage and review your license(s) and personal information in the portal. To verify or update contact information, log in to the licensing portal and select your business profile. Locate your business license, select Manage Business and choose Update Contact Information. These steps will allow you to check for accuracy or make necessary changes.