With the flurry of changes and proposed changes swirling around Oklahoma’s medical marijuana program since SQ 788 became law, I decided to dig deep into current OMMA rules, scouring the language for a few nuggets that may have slipped by unnoticed. Some of the particulars surprised even me!
Let’s make today the day we expose misconceptions that may have kept Oklahomans in need from taking the dive into the healing world of medical marijuana:
1. Where it’s legal to smoke cigs, it’s legal to smoke weed.
Smoking marijuana in public has the same restrictions as smoking cigarettes in public, under the “Smoking in Public Places and Indoor Workplaces Act.” I found the language to be a bit confusing — lots of measuring doorways and people — but the general takeaway is clear: If you are somewhere smoking is permitted, you can smoke weed. P.S. You must NEVER, never, never smoke anything whatsoever at the Oklahoma City Zoo.
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2. Out-of-state MMJ patients can apply for a 30-day license.
This one is pretty awesome, and Oklahoma should use it in their tourism marketing — especially when State Fair season rolls around! The basics for out-of-state patients are the same, except the applicant submits a copy of their out-of-state card, instead of a physician recommendation. I find this to be especially progressive and cool; way to go Oklahoma!
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3. The firearms thing is not a thing.
What kind of Wild West of Weed would this really be, if a stoner had to bring a Cattleman’s steak knife to a gun fight? Rest assured; you can have your AR-15 and your weed. Nobody is taking your guns. From The Unity Bill:
Rights to firearms protected. A medical marijuana patient or caregiver licensee shall not be denied the right to own, purchase or possess a firearm, ammunition, or firearm accessories based solely on his or her status as a medical marijuana patient or caregiver licensee. No state or local agency, municipal or county governing authority shall restrict, revoke, suspend or otherwise infringe upon the right of a person to own, purchase or possess a firearm, ammunition, or firearm accessories or any related firearms license or certification based solely on their status as a medical marijuana patient or caregiver licensee.
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4. Disabled vets save 80% on OMMA application fee.
Not only do 100% disabled military veterans pay $20 — instead of $100 — to apply for a medical marijuana card in Oklahoma, but our dispensaries are flooded with generous weed deals for vets, which as you may have noticed from various editions of The Happy Ogle’s Weekend Weed Deals. Reddit also has a local Veterans Discount thread, if you have specific questions for the MMJ community. A penny pre-roll for my thoughts? I think all men and women who’ve served our county, regardless of their official disability rating, deserve a break. Amirite?
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5. Medicare, Medicaid enrollees also pay just $20 to apply.
Thank you Oklahoma for being considerate enough to give socioeconomically-challenged folks and the elderly a goddamn break. I’d like to see this go a step further: How about a meaningful discount while they are in the program — maybe a break on the exorbitant taxation? Call me a bleeding heart, but my dispensary stop-and-chats have led me to encounter the same physically- and financially-challenged folks buying a gram at a time. It’s unconscionable that health insurance only fucks with cannabis if it has been synthesized and patented by big pharma to the tune of $33,000 per year.
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6. A caregiver’s license allows another person to purchase, transport MMJ on your behalf.
There are infinite reasons a patient’s medical condition might prevent her from stepping foot inside a dispensary from time to time (e.g. moi, who can’t drive due to Epilepsy). A Caregiver License solves that problem! Your designated caregiver doesn’t need to be a parent or relative or medical professional — hell, they don’t even need to be particularly responsible. I could even designate fellow writers Uncle Skunk or James to break dance down to the dispensary each week to retrieve my ounce of FPOG.
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7. Patients can grow, possess, transport a lot of weed!
In Oklahoma, MMJ patients are allowed to have up to six seedling/nonflowering plants and six mature/flowering plants. We can possess up to eight ounces of weed, and we can transport [within the state] up to three ounces. My friend in Washington can’t grow any plants under their recreational law. 〈 Naaah na na nu naah na na nu naah 〉
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The more I learn about Oklahoma’s medical marijuana program, the more convinced I become that we have the best medical marijuana program in the United States. #ImagineThat
