New Laws For Medical Marijuana Industry
State lawmakers are tightening up regulations around the medical marijuana industry.
Gov. Kevin Stitt signed nearly 20 medical marijuana-related bills into law this year, most of which aim to narrow who can access the industry.
Background checks for business owners and employees. Fingerprint scans. State-issued industry badges. Required fire marshal inspections and occupancy certificates for dispensaries and grows…and finally, increased regulations around testing and packaging.
Those regulations and others represent the latest round of medical marijuana policy signed into law by Gov. Stitt.
They are part of a legislative crackdown on illicit marijuana operations in the state, particularly those run by Chinese and Mexican cartels.
Republican lawmakers claim illegal immigration plays a part in increased drug crimes in the state. So, they’ve banned people without legal immigration status from working in the cannabis industry.
Some laws took effect immediately upon Stitt’s signing, and others will follow between now and November first.
AG Reaches Settlement Over Timely Mental Health Treatment For Inmates
State Attorney General Gentner Drummond agreed to a proposed settlement Monday in a federal lawsuit against the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.
The agreement is meant to improve the Department’s delivery of court-ordered mental health treatment to county jail inmates.
Four inmates found incompetent to stand trial alleged in a suit against the Department of Mental Health in 2023 that they were forced to wait to receive timely, court-ordered mental health treatment while their cases were stayed.
Now, Drummond, who represents the Department, says they and other inmates will receive
“long-delayed justice.”
The proposed agreement would require the Department, among other things, to develop and implement a screening program to expedite the placement of inmates into appropriate care and impose deadlines for delivering treatment that are associated with fines if they are not met.
The federal court must approve the agreements’ details, and the Oklahoma Legislature will also have to approve it once it’s finalized.
Temporary Injunction Issued In Lawsuit Over Teaching Bans
Parts of an Oklahoma law that bans teaching certain race and gender topics in classrooms are on pause after a federal judge issued a temporary injunction Friday.
The move comes two and a half years after a lawsuit was filed.
The lawsuit claims HB 1775 violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments.
It was brought by OU’s Black Emergency Response Team and several other plaintiffs against the state attorney general, state superintendent and others.
In the orders, U.S. District Judge Charles Goodwin prevented the state from enforcing part of the law banning any university student orientation or requirement that presents the idea of race or sex stereotyping or bias.
It also stops the state from enforcing prohibitions on school employees teaching two concepts: first, the concept that individuals should be discriminated against due to race or sex, and second, the concept that members of one race or sex should not attempt to treat others without respect to race or sex. He said the provisions were impermissibly vague.
However, Goodwin did uphold other parts, including a section that prohibits employees from teaching that one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex.
New Plan To Modernize Oklahoma City and Botanical Garden
Big changes are coming to the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden.
The zoo released a new master plan for updating and expanding habitats and public spaces.
One priority is transforming reptile and amphibian habitats into an indoor and outdoor preserve.
Construction projects are set to take place over the next ten years.
The plan is expected to cost about $115 to $230 million, and will be funded through private and public sources.
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