An Oklahoma House committee passed a medical marijuana regulation bill this week on the heels of a Senate committee doing the same.
House Bill 3468, however, is less stringent than its Senate counterpart. It would simply establish the Oklahoma Cannabis Commission to oversee all aspects of medical marijuana should the people legalize it in June.
Yukon Republican Rep. John Paul Jordan said his bill draws from other states.
"As far as the setup for the commission and the language, a lot of it is actually taken out of Colorado with the way they set up their marijuana commission," Jordan said.
Jordan said the legislature must take action now because State Question 788 relies on agency rules to regulate medical marijuana.
"The administrative rules process takes about 18 months to two years for rule-making authority of a state agency, whereas the aggressive timeline actually comes in conflict," Jordan said.
If State Question 788 passes, it would take effect 30 days later, and the Oklahoma State Health Department would be required to take implement some provisions within that time.
Jordan said he’s still working on HB3468 with Oklahomans for Health to add depth to their ballot measure.
"Not contradicting the ballot, but basically saying what it means to be a grower, security for someone who is a commercial grower, packaging," Jordan said.
As the bill is currently written, the Oklahoma Cannabis Commission would begin under the auspices of the state health department but would become an independent agency in 2019.
