House Bill 3530, which will create a grant program for county sheriffs to combat illegal marijuana activities in Oklahoma, has become law after Gov. Kevin Stitt signed it this week. The bill was authored in the Senate by Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore, and passed by wide margins in both chambers.
The law allows for one full time deputy to be totally dedicated to assisting OMMA compliance inspectors, who the government says are being met with resistance at medical marijuana facilities.
HB 3530 creates an annual grant program funded by $5 million from the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority budget. The program will provide county sheriffs close to $65,000 for one year and will require one deputy to be assigned to assist OMMA compliance inspectors.
The bill comes after OMMA compliance inspectors were denied access to properties 181 times between April 2021 and Feb. 2022, according to the state. That accounts for 9.6 percent of all inspections during that year and two months period.
The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics has agreed to conduct drug training for deputies to ensure that they know what they should expect and need to do during compliance inspections.
