State fears harm in cannabis-rules delay

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma’s Health Department has warned a judge that the public will be harmed if the state can’t implement key rules on medical marijuana.

The agency on Tuesday listed eight potential dangers to the public if the new rules aren’t enforced, including the risk of selling contaminated food and drug products.

The warning came in response to an Aug. 7 legal petition asking for an emergency injunction on more than 20 medical-marijuana rules signed by Gov. Mary Fallin a day earlier. The Board of Health adopted new guidelines Aug. 1 after rules hastily adopted last month came under harsh criticism from Attorney General Mike Hunter and medical-marijuana advocates who said the board overstepped its authority.

Rachel Bussett, an attorney for eight petitioners who are prospective medical-marijuana patients and business operators, called the amended rules “an even bigger regulatory dumpster fire than its predecessor.” She said requiring growers to adhere to restaurant-level hygiene and cleanliness standards has “potentially made any outdoor commercial cultivation an impossibility.”

In June, voters approved legalizing medical marijuana in the state. The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority is scheduled to begin receiving and processing license applications Aug. 25.