A report detailing the current marijuana landscape in Oklahoma reveals eye popping – and some disturbing – figures.
Medical marijuana became legal in Oklahoma in 2018, but recreational use is still illegal. Even so, since medical legalization the industry has, to put it mildly, flourished – as have illegal cultivation and sales.
A moratorium began in August 2022 for new dispensary, grower and processor licenses; but the horse had already bolted from the stable.
Back in 2023, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt said medical marijuana had gotten way out of control in the state and pledged to rein it in. A crackdown followed, impacting not only rampant illegal sales, but having an impact on the legal industry too.
After direct requests from parties including Oklahoma legislators, the TEXOMA High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) last week released a report providing an overview of marijuana in the state.
Among its findings, the report indicates Oklahoma has 12 times as many licensed medical marijuana growers and more than triple the number of medical and cannabis growers combined in Colorado. This is even though the number of licenses for cultivating medical marijuana in Oklahoma dropped from a record high of 9,178 in 2021 to nearly a third of that figure in 2024 – 3,138.
As for medical marijuana dispensaries, the state has 5 times as many as Colorado and nearly double the number of that state’s medical and recreational dispensaries combined.
It’s also worth noting Oklahoma has a population of around 4 million, compared to Colorado’s approximately 5 million.
A 2021/2022 national survey indicated Oklahoma youth ranked number 3 in the USA for past month marijuana use, up from 43 in the nation in 2017/2018. Overall number of discharges for inpatient hospitalizations for all ages with nonfatal cannabis “poisonings” skyrocketed 228% from 2018 to 2023. Discharges involving very young children aged 1-4 increased 960% from 2016 to 2023.
Other various stats:
The total number of live marijuana plants in Oklahoma as at November 20, 2024 was 7,388,470 – that’s around 1.8 plants for every man, woman and child in the state. 4,082,265 were live flowering plants and 3,306,205 were non-flowering.Since legalization, use among adults ages 26 and older increased 188%. College age (18-25 years old) use increased 55%. Youth use rates have increased 73%.The number of marijuana plants seized as a result of investigations increased 69,573% from 2018 to 2023.
These figures just scratch the surface of what’s covered in the 80-page report, which can be viewed here.
Director of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics Donnie Anderson said the report was developed to give policy makers and citizens a true snapshot of what’s going on in the state.
A report detailing the current marijuana landscape in Oklahoma reveals eye popping – and some disturbing – figures. Read More
