Fallin decides no special session
Rules already being considered for legal medicinal marijuana
Gov. Mary Fallin said Friday she has decided not to call lawmakers back to the Capitol for a summertime special session to make changes to Oklahoma’s new medical marijuana law.
Instead, she said in a news release, the rules being considered by the Oklahoma State Department of Health would be enough to get the industry going.
“The Oklahoma State Department of Health has developed emergency rules that will ensure the health and safety of Oklahomans as well as being fair and balanced for the marijuana industry,” Fallin said. “The Health Department has been working with other agencies the past several months to develop a medical and proper regulatory framework to make sure marijuana use is truly for valid medical reasons.”
The announcement by the governor came 10 days after a spokesman for the governor had said that Fallin intended to call a special session if voters approved State Question 788 to “address the practical implementation of the proposal.”
The spokesman said at that time that the governor was planning to talk with Senate and House leaders about a special session and was “concerned that the state would not be able to have a system established in 30 days” after passage of the state question as required by its terms.
Progress made by the state Health Department in developing emergency regulations apparently alleviated the governor’s concerns.
“The voters have spoken, and it’s important that our state has a responsible system up and running to meet the deadlines outlined in State Question 788,” she said. “If circumstances develop that adjustments to the Health Department rules are necessary, those can be addressed when lawmakers return in regular session early next year.”
Legislators were considering another special session to add regulations they felt weren’t included in State Question 788, which voters approved this week. The burgeoning industry also expected some new laws to complement the state question, but Fallin said it’s up to state officials to let the system work for now.
Information for patients, retailers and producers of medical marijuana will be made available by the state within a month after proposed emergency rules are considered by the Oklahoma State Board of Health on July 10. If the board approves the rules, they will go to the governor for final consideration.
Application information for the various types of medical marijuana licenses will be available online by July 26 at omma.ok.gov. However, the agency will not begin the process of receiving or processing applications until Aug. 25.