The top lawyer at the Oklahoma State Department of Health has quit her job, days after the agency's board ignored her advice on rules for medical marijuana. This apparently took place after she emailed herself a threat. She faces a felony complaint.
Health department officials confirmed Tuesday that Julie Ezell resigned as general counsel on Friday, effective immediately. The agency declined additional comment.
In a brief email to the agency's interim commissioner, Ezell wrote: "I am so sorry."
Ezell cautioned the board last week against banning sales of smokable marijuana and requiring a pharmacist in every dispensary. She said those last-minute changes were beyond the board's legal authority and would likely invite legal challenges, but the board voted to make the changes anyway,
Medical marijuana advocates then filed two separate lawsuits.
Ezell had helped write medical marijuana rules. Oklahoma voters approved medicinal cannabis in June.