OKLAHOMA CITY (May 2, 2023) – Attorney General Gentner Drummond commended Gov. Stitt for signing legislation today that will help law enforcement crack down on Oklahoma’s rash of illegal marijuana grow operations. Authored by Rep. Jon Echols and Sen. Lonnie Paxton, House Bill 2095 gives the Office of the Attorney General, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation full enforcement authority over the state’s medical marijuana laws.
""I want to thank Gov. Stitt, as well as Rep. Echols and Sen. Paxton, for this tremendous step forward in Oklahoma's efforts to stamp out illegal marijuana grow operations," said Drummond. "The illegal marijuana industry is crawling with Mexican cartels and Chinese crime syndicates that pose a serious threat to public safety, particularly in our rural communities. Gov. Sttt's approval of HB 2095 ensures the Attorney General's Office and our excellent law enforcement partners have the tools and authority to shut down these dangerous criminal enterprises."
Specifically, the measure allows the Office of the Attorney General to subpoena business documents, conduct unannounced on-site inspections, seize and destroy illegal products, and enter into agreements with other state agencies to combat illegal marijuana grow operations. Moreover, HB 2095 extends the moratorium on new grow licenses through 2026 so law enforcement has additional time to shut down illegal marijuana farms.