While the Oklahoma Cannabis Industry was focused on meeting the deadline for Metrc, the state required seed to sale program based out of Florida, Governor Stitt signed into law Senate Bill 1737. In typical fashion to what we have seen before with this administration, little consideration was given to the workers within the industry and the ignorance of the issues surrounding the cannabis community was abhorrent.
According to SB 1737, signed 5/31/22 and enforcement starting 11/1/22, "all medical marijuana commercial grower licensees shall be required to post signage at the site of the commercial grow operation."
The signage would require information such as:
Business Name
Physical Address
Phone number of the licensed business
Medical marijuana license number
While this information sounds mundane, it creates a security problem for every marijuana grow in the state. In recent years, theft has been a major problem for marijuana businesses in Oklahoma. Placing a sign declaring that a building is a grow invites break-ins and places employees in danger.
SB 1737 creates a target on the backs of every cannabis employee in the state. This glaring security flaw invites the opportunity for lawsuits against the regulatory bodies enacting such irresponsible requirements in the event of theft or bodily harm.
However, there is still time to contest the bill. Please reach out to your local officials or contact the governor's office here.
This article should not be taken as legal advice. Please consult an attorney for questions regarding SB 1737 or security measures to protect employees.