OMMA Patient Licensing Updates: October 2024

Oklahoma State Department of Health sent this bulletin at 10/17/2024 09:49 AM CDT

Patient Education: Transdermal and Topical

Although they’re both applied to the skin, topical cannabis products only impact the site of application whereas transdermal cannabis patches can result in effects from THC being felt in areas other than the site of application.

Did You Know? In OMMA rules, medical marijuana is measured in ounces and grams not pounds. An ounce is defined as 28.3 grams.

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

Regulatory Reminders and FAQs

Contact Information
Please check your licensing portal to verify or update your contact information with OMMA — licensees are required to keep this information updated in the portal. To do so, log in to the licensing portal, select Patient Portal and then your Profile. After that, on the left-hand side, you can click Personal Information to view your address and contact information (phone number, email address). You can update your email and/or phone number from the Personal Information page, but if you need to update your address, you must submit a request by clicking Address Change Request on the left-hand side.

Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the questions patient licensees have asked OMMA most frequently in recent weeks. Visit omma.ok.gov/contact to get in touch. Visit omma.ok.gov/patients for more information.

Q: When can I renew my license? Can I still renew my license if it is expired?

A: To avoid any lapse in your patient license, we suggest submitting a renewal application via the licensing portal 30 days before your license expires. You can still renew your license even if it is expired.

Q: Can someone make a purchase from a dispensary using their approval email or expired patient license?

A: Patients must have their physical unexpired patient license to purchase medical marijuana from a dispensary. Patients must also have their physical unexpired license to possess medical marijuana.

Q: When will my license arrive?

A: It may take OMMA up to 14 business days (excluding weekends and state holidays) to process patient license applications. After an application is approved, the license is automatically printed and mailed. From there, mail time usually takes 7-10 days.

However, mail time may take up to 14 days and an additional 14 days if the license is returned to OMMA. If it is returned to OMMA, we will reach out to you directly. If your license does not arrive after 30 days, you can request a replacement via the licensing portal free of charge.

Please keep in mind OMMA is not responsible for mail processing times once a license is approved and mailed. Please contact your post office to discuss mail delays.

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.

Federal Rescheduling Hearing

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will hold a public hearing Dec. 2 about easing federal restrictions on marijuana through rescheduling.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommended rescheduling marijuana last year, and the DEA hearing continues the extensive federal rulemaking process. HHS officials recommended moving marijuana from a Schedule I substance to a Schedule III substance on the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The CSA is made of five schedules based on a drug’s acceptable medical use and a drug’s abuse or dependency potential.

Marijuana is classified currently at Schedule I, which is defined as a substance with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Moving marijuana to the lower-tier Schedule III wouldn’t legalize marijuana federally, but it could loosen restrictions on research and legal commerce that come with the Schedule I status.

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