Newly filed legislation would extend the renewal period for medical marijuana licenses held by disabled veterans by 500%.
Oklahoma Senate Bill 1219 was filed by Senator Brenda Stanley (R). It’s been assigned to the Senate Alcohol, Tobacco and Controlled Substances Committee.
According to the bill, “An applicant for a medical marijuana patient license who can demonstrate his or her status as a one-hundred-percent-disabled veteran as determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.. [shall have their licenses] valid for up to ten (10) years from the date of issuance.”
According to a recently released report, Oklahoma has the highest percentage of medical marijuana patients per capita in the entire United States at around 10%. Of the state’s roughly four million population, nearly 400,000 are medical marijuana patients.
Despite Oklahoma having one of the most prominent medical marijuana markets in the country with thousands of dispensaries, in May Governor Kevin Stitt signed House Bill 2095 into law, with the measure officially taking effect last month. The law extends the state’s ban on the establishment of any new medical marijuana businesses by a full two years. This means it will stay in place until at least August, 2026.
For the full text of Senate Bill 219, click here. The measure is scheduled to go through its first reading on February 5, 2024. If it’s passed into law, it will go into effect on November 4.
