Lawmakers extended a moratorium on new medical cannabis business licenses for two more years as the state tries to get a handle on the exploding industry. A new state law extends a two-year pause on granting new cannabis licenses for dispensaries, growers, and processors into a four-year moratorium.
The pause does not affect the state’s 339,938 medical cannabis patients and other license holders. The moratorium that was initially scheduled to end next summer will now end Aug. 1, 2026, due to a law that took effect Nov. 1.
Now, more than a year into the moratorium, the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority is starting to see a decrease in license numbers, said agency spokesperson Porsha Riley. But she said the decrease in the number of cannabis businesses can be attributed to numerous factors, including increased enforcement of the state’s medical cannabis laws and a more rigorous licensing process.
The number of licensed growers across the state has dropped by nearly 2,000 businesses since the moratorium took effect, according to information provided by the Medical Marijuana Authority.
Read more at oklahomavoice.com