Oklahoma legalized medical marijuana use, possession, and cultivation in June 2018, and since then, the industry has taken off. Once considered one of the most conservative states on the Bible Belt, Oklahoma has defied expectations and quickly rolled out a flourishing medical cannabis program.
Residents of Oklahoma are able to apply for an Oklahoma medical card and buy pot from a dispensary within a couple of weeks of sending in their application. Recreational cannabis won't be coming to Oklahoma anytime soon, so here's how you can get an Oklahoma medical card in the meantime.
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Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Laws
Before you start your Oklahoma medical card application, here's a primer on the state of medical marijuana in Oklahoma. Oklahoma has been considered a conservative state with a tough stance on crime including low-level drug possession. To many people's surprise, Oklahoma was one of the first big conservative states to approve medical marijuana.
In 2016, Oklahoma passed a bill making drug possession a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $400 instead of the previous $1,000 fine or one year of jail time sentence. In June 2018, Oklahoma voted yes to State Question 788 by a 57 to 43 percent margin making it the 30th state to pass a medical marijuana program.
Oklahoma's medical marijuana program allows any person over 18 to receive a medical recommendation by a licensed doctor for any condition. Medical consumers are allowed to carry around up to 3 ounces of weed in public or 8 ounces in their homes. They can grow up to 6 mature plants and 6 seedlings. They can also possess up to 1 ounce of concentrates or 72 ounces of edibles. Consumers can designate caregivers to buy or grow for them.
Minors can also apply for a license, but they require recommendations from 2 physicians dated within 30 days of each other and a parent's signature. Minors aren't allowed to smoke or vaporize cannabis. All Oklahoma medical cards are valid for 2 years.
How to Get an Oklahoma Medical Card
In order to get an Oklahoma medical card, individuals have to visit Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority's adult application page. Out-of-state residents can apply for a temporary adult patient license, which allows them to buy, use, and grow cannabis for 30 days. Minors under 18 can apply for a minor patient license. All licenses are $100 or $20 with Medicaid or Medicare.
Out-of-state residents do not qualify for reduced application fees. There is no official list of qualifying medical conditions in Oklahoma's medical program, but a doctor has to deem your condition appropriate for medical marijuana. Here's a quick rundown on how medical consumers can get their Oklahoma medical card.
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- Visit omma.ok.gov
- Under "Patients & Caregivers," click on a license type: Adult, Temporary, or Minor
- Click "Physicians Recommendation Form"
- Print the form
- Return to the homepage
- Click "Physicians"
- Click "Registered Physicians List"
- Find a doctor and make an appointment
- Visit the doctor and bring your recommendation form to get a marijuana recommendation ($200+ for first-time visits; reduced fee for renewals))
- Once approved, go to the home page and click "Apply Now"
- Register for an account
- Verify your email and sign in
- Create a new application
- Choose "New Patient Registration Form"
- Fill the forms with your personal information (doctor's recommendation required)
- Upload a full-color clear headshot and center it
- Upload an image of your driver's license
- Pay the fee with a credit or debit card. Medicaid or Medicare patients can provide a copy of their insurance for a reduced fee
- Confirm your information
- Click submit
- Wait 14 days for your Oklahoma medical card to arrive
Where to Buy Cannabis in Oklahoma
Unlike other medical marijuana states that are slow to roll out their medical program, Oklahoma was one of the fastest in terms of implementation. Within a few months, retail locations had already had begun selling weed. Other states, including neighboring Arkansas, approved medical cannabis in 2016, but haven't seen a quick implementation.
Mary Jane Dispensary in Moore, Oklahoma noted that their licensing process was fast and had fewer regulatory hurdles compared with other medical states. As of March 20, 2019, there were 1,141 dispensaries in Oklahoma. College towns, especially, have a relatively high amount of dispensary locations. Dispensaries, however, can't be located within 1,000 feet of a school.
Medical consumers can present their Oklahoma medical card and gain access to any Oklahoma dispensary or designate a caregiver to grow or buy cannabis for them. Although prices vary, some dispensaries, like Mary Jane Dispensary, have flower with an average price of $10 per gram and nothing above $15 per gram. Cannabis is subject to a 7% retail tax.
Recreational Cannabis in Oklahoma
Recreational cannabis in Oklahoma is a distant dream at the moment. On November 6, 2018, ballot, Green The Vote, an Oklahoma-based pro-cannabis group, came up short on the required signatures needed to put a bill for adult use cannabis. State Question 797 would allow adults to purchase legal cannabis, but they didn't gather enough signatures for support.
Cannabis consumers and professionals are unsure when recreational use will be allowed or if a bill will be passed before national legalization. For now, legislators are fully embracing the medical cannabis program and making Oklahoma a burgeoning market full of Oklahoma dispensaries with easy patient access.
Oklahoma is experiencing an unprecedented medical cannabis boom due to its unique regulations on medical consumers, caregivers, dispensaries, and producers. There's no doubt that revenue gathered by the program will provide considerable financial support to public programs and resources, not to mention, provide cannabis to medical consumers.
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