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Enthusiasm For Oklahoma’s Medical Marijuana Boom Tempered By Concerns Of A Bust

Enthusiasm For Oklahoma’s Medical Marijuana Boom Tempered By Concerns Of A Bust

Oklahoma medical marijuana boom could be short lived, some worry

Oklahoma has what many consider to be the only free-enterprise medical marijuana industry in the U.S., with cheap startup fees, no cap on medical marijuana business licenses and few limits on who can get a patient card. But this low barrier to entry could lead to an oversaturated market where cannabis businesses struggle to survive.

Jessica Baker, owner of Bakers Cannabis Dispensary in northwest Oklahoma City, has witnessed the growing pains other young marijuana industries like Oklahoma’s have experienced over her two decade career in the business.

She and her husband Chip started growing medical cannabis in California in 1997, which eventually led them to Colorado, where Chip opened a couple of hydroponic stores.

After the passage of State Question 788 in June of 2018, which legalized medical marijuna in Oklahoma, Chip noticed he started receiving an influx of business from Oklahoma.

“People were ordering lights and soil and nutrients,” Jessica said.

The Bakers saw promise in Oklahoma’s medical marijuana market and decided to move to the state at the end of 2018.

In addition to the dispensary and its attached clone nursery, Chip owns a nearby hydroponic store in OKC, and Jessica has a marijuana farm and processor about 40 miles northeast of the city.

Jessica said it’s been a nice change of pace doing business in Oklahoma’s medical marijuana market.

“My businesses have primarily been in California where it’s very difficult and expensive,” Jessica said. “Oklahoma in general… they made it pretty easy for people, which is nice and affordable.”

Oklahoma has some of the cheapest annual commercial licensing fees in the country at $2,500, especially compared to California where licensing fees can reach six figures and range depending on estimated annual gross revenue.

There’s also no limit on licensed medical marijuana businesses in Oklahoma unlike other states such as Louisiana where only one dispensary is allowed in each of the state’s nine regions.

And with no list of qualifying conditions, it’s easy to get a physician to write a recommendation for a medical marujuana patient card. This has led to over 367,000 Oklahomans, nearly 10% of the state’s population, obtaining a medical marijuana patient card, which according to Politico makes Oklahoma the largest medical marijuana market per capita.

Jay Czarkowski, founding partner of the marijuana business consulting firm Canna Advisors, said Oklahoma’s medical marijuana program has grown rapidly. 

“The medical marijuana program in Oklahoma, it’s such an open, liberal program, it is almost like adult use legalization,” Czarkowski said. 

Oklahoma is just shy of having 10,000 active licensed medical marijuana businesses, which includes over 2,000 dispensaries and about 6,500 growers. 

Jessica was surprised about Oklahoma’s medical marijuana industry. So many people with little to no prior experience with cannabis were so eager to get into the business.  

“It says something about people from Oklahoma… that they would just jump into something of the unknown and kind of gamble on it, which is a pretty cool quality,” she said. 

But the flip side to Oklahoma’s low barrier of entry for starting a medical marijuana business is the pressure it puts on the market. 

Sarah Lee Gossett Parrish, an Oklahoma attorney who represents over 150 cannabis businesses, said some enter the market with the misconception that it will be fast money. 

“You have people getting into it who don’t understand that the cannabis industry is just like any other business,” she said. “You have to work hard and have a strong business acumen and know what you’re doing.”

Because there are so many growers, Gossett Parrish said they need to zero in on a market to avoid being eclipsed by larger growers that generate a massive supply of product. 

“If you are a craft grower and maybe an organic grower and you pick and choose certain illnesses and conditions for which you grow strains and you target your market, then you’re going to fare well,” Gossett Parrish said. 

Unless the state legalizes recreational marijuana within the year, Jessica expects many cannabis businesses will have to shut down. She said there’s more marijuana than there is demand from patients.

Original Story from KGOU

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Arkansas medical marijuana sales hit $175M in 2020

Arkansas medical marijuana sales hit $175M in 2020

Arkansas medical marijuana sales saw a big boom in 2020

Medical marijuana sales in Arkansas reached $175 million in 2020, ending the year with a record $1.22 million day.

The Marijuana Business Factbook projects that Arkansas MMJ sales will nearly double this year to $300 million-$365 million, boosted by new items such as edibles and vape products. The state recently opened up licensing for processors.

The state’s dispensaries sold 26,000 pounds of medical marijuana products in 2020, Medical Marijuana Commission spokesman Scott Hardin told Arkansas Public Radio.

The market, which launched in May 2019, started 2020 with fewer than 10 dispensaries but ended the year with 32, according to the report.

Six additional licensed retail entities are working toward opening for business, Hardin wrote in a recent email to Marijuana Business Daily.

Meanwhile, a medical marijuana dispensary in Hot Springs filed a lawsuit alleging that three cultivators have refused to sell product to the retailer, costing the outlet $5 million.

Green Springs Medical Dispensary, once the state’s leading seller, is requesting that the Garland County Circuit Court bar the growers from boycotting the dispensary, according to The Sentinel-Record in Hot Springs.

CEO Dragan Vicentic also wants state regulators to impose a rule that prohibits cultivators from refusing to sell to dispensaries, which his lawsuit claims violates federal antitrust laws.

He claims the growers are retaliating against his comments to regulators that the state needs more cultivators because the existing ones cannot meet dispensaries’ demand. There are currently only eight licensed cannabis cultivators in the state to meet the demand of 32 dispensaries.

UFC won’t punish fighters for marijuana use in policy change

UFC won’t punish fighters for marijuana use in policy change

UFC is no longer going to punish fighter for cannabis use

The UFC will no longer punish fighters for using marijuana in most cases, making a major change to its anti-doping policy.

The world’s largest mixed martial arts promotion confirmed Thursday that it will no longer worry about positive tests for carboxy-THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, unless it believes a fighter used it intentionally to enhance performance.

All other cannabinoids derived naturally from marijuana are no longer prohibited substances, said Jeff Novitzky, the UFC’s senior vice president of athlete health and performance.

“The bottom line is that in regard to marijuana, we care about what an athlete consumed the day of a fight, not days or weeks before a fight, which has often been the case in our historic positive THC cases,” Novitzky said. “UFC athletes will still be subject to marijuana rules under various athletic commission regulations, but we hope this is a start to a broader discussion and changes on this issue with that group.”

Indeed, the UFC’s decision doesn’t affect the rules of various state athletic commissions and international governing bodies, but those groups often follow promoters’ leads on anti-doping policy. The UFC hopes state commissions will similarly relax their rules to reflect the more widespread tolerance for marijuana use.

The UFC won’t allow fighters to compete while under the influence of cannabinoids, but Novitzky said the promotion recognizes that MMA fighters often use marijuana for pain management or relaxation. Fighters advocating for legal competitive marijuana use have previously argued that a relaxation of the UFC’s anti-marijuana rules could lead to a reduction in the use of more addictive pain medications.

The UFC partnered with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency in 2015 to produce a comprehensive anti-doping program in a notoriously fractious sport. Mixed martial arts once frequently showcased fighters semi-openly using steroids and testosterone replacement therapy, among other performance enhancements.

Despite its prior ban, marijuana and CBD products have had a prominent role in many MMA fighters’ training and financial backing. Many fighters have sponsorships from CBD businesses, while others have launched CBD-related business ventures.

Nick and Nate Diaz, two semi-retired but wildly popular fighters from Stockton, California, have built their outlaw image partly around their enthusiastic use of marijuana and CBD products. Nick Diaz, who hasn’t fought in six years, tested positive for marijuana use after two of his last three fights.

Jay-Z Cannabis Brand Monogram Launches

Jay-Z Cannabis Brand Monogram Launches

Jay-z cannabis brand monogram launches luxury cannabis products

Jay-Z just became the latest celebrity to launch a pot business.

Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter — the billionaire rapper and global business mogul behind a multitude of successful companies including D’Usse cognac, streaming service Tidal and entertainment firm Roc Nation — can now add premium cannabis brand Monogram to his portfolio.

Monogram’s core collection rolled out Thursday. Retailing between $40 and $70, the products include several cannabis strains designated as light, medium and heavy — available in pre-rolled cigars and joints and tins of cannabis flower.

In a statement obtained by CNBC, Jay-Z said his vision for the brand is “cannabis redefined.”

“Cannabis has been around for thousands of years, yet it is still an industry whose legacy of skilled craftsmanship is often overlooked,” he said. “I created Monogram to give cannabis the respect it deserves by showcasing the tremendous hard work, time and care that go into crafting a superior smoke. Monogram products are next level when it comes to quality and consistency and we’re just getting started.”

Jay-Z — who once famously referred to himself as a “business, man” not a “businessman” — joins a growing list of artists getting into the pot industry.

Detroit to issue recreational marijuana licenses in summer 2021

Detroit to issue recreational marijuana licenses in summer 2021

Detroit — Starting January, longtime city residents will be the first to apply for certification and secure recreational marijuana licenses by the summer, city officials announced Wednesday.

Mayor Mike Duggan and councilman James Tate unveiled a timeline urging residents eager to jumpstart their marijuana business to begin by applying for Detroit Legacy certification opening online Jan. 19. The first licenses could be issued to qualified residents as soon as June.

Tender Jacob Samways, left, lets Gregg Etzel, 67, of Dundee smell some marijuana flowers during the first day of sales of recreational marijuana at Exclusive Provisioning Center in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Dec. 1, 2019.

The city’s long-awaited ordinance for recreational marijuana, which was unveiled in October, guarantees no less than half of all licenses awarded will go to legacy residents.

“It’s by far the most controversial provision,” Duggan said. “The city will not issue a license to any business unless 50% of the licenses in that category are Detroiters. Which means if you’re from outside the city, you can’t get a license unless a Detroiter already has one. We’ll never go below 50%.”

The plan, city leaders say, was crafted to ensure residents disproportionately affected by the nation’s failed “War on Drugs” will have an equitable opportunity to participate in an industry that’s estimated to yield $3 billion in annual sales. In late November, the city council unanimously approved the ordinance.

“It was imperative for us to ensure we right that wrong,” Tate said. “We have individuals who are making a very good living on marijuana today, the same plant that created this situation of mass incarceration around our country in the city of Detroit, so this is an opportunity for us.”

Applicants can qualify for the “legacy” certification if they’ve lived in Detroit for 15 of the last 30 years; lived in Detroit for 13 of the last 30 years and are low-income; or lived in Detroit for 10 of the last 30 years and have a past marijuana-related conviction.

Legacy Detroiters will receive benefits including reduced fees, technical assistance and a six-week period when only legacy Detroiter applications will be reviewed before the rest of the public by the city’s Civil Rights, Inclusion and Opportunity Department.

Legacy Detroiters will be able to purchase city-owned land at 25% of the fair market value and all application fees be slashed to 1% of the total cost.

Detroit officials have announced plans to give certain residents a head start and other assistance in applying for marijuana licenses.

“These are for real Detroiters, those who have roots in the community,” Duggan said. “Or you can qualify as a business legacy, owned and controlled 51% by individuals with the legacy certification.”

Despite the scrutiny they face, “Detroit is ready for this huge lift,” Tate said.

He added it was rare to witness overwhelming excitement about an ordinance but said it’s because “now (residents) have that sense of opportunity and hope.”

How to apply

The adult-use law is expected to go into effect in January and Detroiters can start by reviewing the process at detroitmeansbusiness.org.

Starting Jan. 19, the website will open for applications for legacy certification. Applicants will also need state certification through the Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency.

The state requirements include a $6,000 fee with reductions for those involved in social equity programs. Applicants must provide the state information on the company and have a personal background check.

The state process could take two to three months and Duggan said Detroit applicants can begin the city process in January before state prequalifications are complete.

Starting April 1, Detroiters and general applicants will able to apply for licenses through the Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department.

Legacy Detroiters will be the first applicants reviewed for licenses starting May 1. General applications will be reviewed starting Aug. 1.

City licensing fees will cost $1,000, but only $10 for legacy Detroiters.

“We are going to change the inequity on Detroit versus non-Detroit businesses,” Duggan said. “We’re doing everything we can to create every opportunity for Detroiters to start these businesses.”

The city will license up to 75 adult-use retailers, the same number it allows for medical marijuana provisioning centers. Officials said it amounted to one dispensary every two square miles in the city.

Applicants will need:

  • Detailed business plans
  • Three years of income tax returns
  • Authorizations for background checks
  • Property tax clearances and clearances of any blight
  • An address for the business

Those without an address can obtain a provisional license valid for one year and for information on properties. Detroit officials have said only four of the city’s 46 medical marijuana dispensaries — permitted under a law approved by Detroit’s council in 2018 — are owned by residents.

Mitzi Ruddock, a 40-year-old Detroit single mother with a past marijuana conviction, told The News that having a seat at the table made a difference.

“I and many other Detroiters have sacrificed so much to see the day that brings generational wealth to our children through legal cannabis businesses,” said Ruddock.

Read the full story on The Detroit News