OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — As of Sunday, a new Oklahoma law says dispensaries can only sell pre-packaged marijuana.
The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) says there is a grace period for this, as dispensaries have until November 1 to stop selling deli-style weed.
Melanie Brown with The Farmacy Dispensary tells Fox 25 she’ll be out of her deli-style supply long before then.
“Personally, I’m not a fan of it,” Brown said. “I like to be able to take care of my patients one-on-one. If I have somebody that wants a gram, I want to be able to give them a gram. That’s not going to happen anymore under pre-package.”
Brown says some people are upset about House Bill 2807, which states all medical marijuana flower must be sold in pre-packaged quantities between .5 grams and 3 ounces.
“At the end of the day, it is what it is. We have to adapt, and do what they tell us to do. Most of our patients are not looking forward to it. We’ve been trying to prep them for it, for the last month or so.”
According to Brown, her growers tell her their prices will either rise to $1 a package, or, potentially, $300 a pound.
“I’m really scared for my lower tier shelf right now, where I sell $60 an ounce. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to maintain that once the add-on for pre-package gets added on.”
Fox 25 reached out to State Rep. T.J. Marti (R-Tulsa) and State Senator Bill Coleman (R-Ponca City), who are behind this change, but our newsroom didn’t hear back.
Brown shared a message for the bill authors.
“Listen to the mom-and-pops. Listen to the small people out here. We’re struggling. You’re making things more difficult than it needs to be. You’re making it more difficult on patients than it needs to be.”
The OMMA says dispensaries can still have samples of medical marijuana on display for patients to smell. You can read the rest of their guidelines here.
People can expect some changes when they buy medical marijuana in Oklahoma. The new requirements it will place on packaging and how local businesses feel. Read More
