John SchroyerA dispute between Oklahoma cannabis industry members and regulators is brewing over reports of “hundreds of licenses” being at risk due to lack of action on renewing them in a timely manner, an allegation that the primary cannabis regulator has denied.
According to the Oklahoma Voice – which was unable to back up industry claims with data from the state – annual license renewal timelines have stretched now to upwards of a full year, creating both a lengthy backlog and something of a vicious cycle.
“We’re seeing license renewals taking a year, so that by the time your license renewal gets approved you’re applying for the next license renewal,” cannabis industry advocate Mike Erwin told the Voice. “When you have uncertainty, businesses don’t know how bad it could be. They don’t know how to react. They don’t know how to move forward.”
Jed Green, director of the pro-marijuana group Oklahomans for Responsible Cannabis Action, said the licensing process writ large has come to a “complete standstill.”
But a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) rebutted that claim and said the office’s track record shows a 90% completion rate of license renewals within the required timeframe.
“Although the review period for each submission is typically 90 business days or less, the law permits us additional time when further review is necessary upon sending a status letter to the applicant,” the spokeswoman told the Voice.
A records request filed by the Voice seeking data on the number of outstanding license renewals was denied by the OMMA, however, so there’s no way to be certain of how many permits are in limbo, as industry advocates assert.
As of Aug. 1, the OMMA online license database showed a total of 6,497 active cannabis business permits, including:
- 3,380 cultivators
- 1,986 dispensaries
- 1,019 processors
- 77 transporters
- 25 laboratories
- 10 waste disposal services
