TULSA, Okla. — Cannabis is consuming the Sooner State as it appears Oklahomans can’t get enough of the stuff. Hundreds of thousands hold medical marijuana cards, and business is booming trying to keep up with demand.
“I had no idea,” OK4U Approved Executive Director Chip Paul said.
OK4U Approved is an organization that promotes marijuana as a medical alternative to conventional pharmaceuticals.
“I don’t think anybody could’ve foreseen the success of the program,” he said.
The budding billion-dollar business was once thought impossible in Oklahoma.
“The growth in the medical marijuana industry has surpassed pretty much anyone’s expectations,” Dr. Kelly Williams, Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority interim director, said.
The OMMA oversees the medical marijuana program in the state.
The state and retailers told 2 Works for You they anticipated 80,000 patient licenses in year one. However, in 2019, the OMMA issued 190,000 cards and, as of today, it’s issued almost 400,000 cards.
“I don’t see any indicators on my end that anything is about to slow down,” Dr. Williams said.
The blossoming industry generated $800,000 in sales in 2020.
Paul drafted State Question 788, the law Oklahomans voted for in 2018 to legalize medical cannabis. Paul said the market will surpass the billion-dollar mark this year.
“We will absolutely have the best medical marijuana program in the country,” he said.
According to the OMMA, over 2,000 dispensaries are licensed to sell in Oklahoma. That’s more than in any other state.
“If you drive around town or
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