Req. No. 11387 Page 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 STATE OF OKLAHOMA 2nd Session of the 58th Legislature (2022) COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR ENGROSSED SENATE BILL NO. 1693 By: Bergstrom and Jett of the Senate and West (Josh) of the House COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE An Act relating to medical marijuana ; amending 63 O.S. 2021, Sections 422 and 423, which relate to medical marijuana commercial grower and processin g licenses; requiring applicant to furnish certain documents before operating; requiring licens ee or applicant to acquire a permit or official p ermission for water use prior to operating; providing licensee to register with Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority; authorizing Authority to revoke license if not in compliance; updating statutory language ; and providing an effective date. BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 63 O.S. 2021, Section 422, is amended to read as follows: Section 422. A. The State Department of Healt h shall, within thirty (30) days of passage of this initiative, make available o n its website in an easy-to-find location an application for a commercial grower license . The application fee shall be Two Req. No. 11387 Page 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) . A method of payment shall be provided on the website of the Department. The State Department of Health shall have ninety (90) days to review the application; approve, reject or deny the application; and mail the approval, rejection or denial letter stating the reasons for the rejection or denial to the applicant. B. The State Department of Healt h shall approve all applications which meet the following criteria: 1. The applicant must be twenty-five (25) years of age or older; 2. The applicant, if applying as an individual, must show residency in the State of Oklahoma this state; 3. All applying entities m ust show that all members, managers, and board members are Oklahoma resident s; 4. An applying entity may show ownership of non -Oklahoma residents, but that percentage owner ship may not exceed twenty-five percent (25%); 5. All applying individuals or en tities must be registered to conduct business in the State of Oklahoma this state; and 6. All applicants must disclose all ownership interests in the commercial grower operation ; and 7. The applicant shall furnish documents evidencing compl iance with the provisions of subsection F of this section . Req. No. 11387 Page 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Applicants with a nonviolent felony conviction in the last two (2) years, any other f elony conviction in the last five (5) years, inmates in the custody of the Department of Corrections or any person currently incarcerate d shall not qualify for a commercial grower license. C. A licensed commercial grower may sell marijuana to a licensed dispensary or a licensed processor. Further, sales by a licensed commercial grower shall be considered wholesale sales and shall not be subject to taxation. Under no circumstances may a licensed commercial grower sell marijuana directly to a licensed medical marijuana patient or licensed caregiver . A licensed commercial grower may only sell at the wholesale level to a license d dispensary, a licensed grower or a licensed processor . If the federal government lifts restrictions on buying and selling marijuana between states, then a licensed commercial grower would be allowed to sell and buy marijuana wholesale from, or to, a n out-of- state wholesale provider. A licensed commercial growe r shall be required to complete a monthly yield and sales report to th e State Department of Health . This report shall be due on the fifteenth of each month and provide reporting on the previous month . This report shall detail the amount of marijuana harvested in pounds, the amount of drying or dried marijuana on hand, the am ount of marijuana sold to licensed processors in pounds, the amount of waste in pounds, and the amount of marijuana sold t o licensed dispensaries in pounds. Req. No. 11387 Page 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Additionally, this repor t shall show total wholesale sales in dollars. The State Department of He alth shall have oversight and auditing responsibilities to ensure that all marijuana being grown by licensed commercial growers is accounted for. D. There shall be no limits on how much marijuana a licens ed commercial grower can grow. E. Beginning on the effective date of this act November 1, 2021, licensed commercial growers shall be authorized to package and sell pre-rolled marijuana to licensed medical marijuana dispensaries. The products described in this subsection shall contain only the ground parts of the mari juana plant and shall not include marijuana concentrates or derivatives. The total net weight of each pre-roll packaged and sold by medical marijuana commercial growers shall not exceed one ( 1) gram. These products must be tested, packaged and labeled in accordance with Oklahoma law and rules promulgated by the State Commissioner of Health. F. A commercial grower applicant or license e shall, prior to engaging in a commercial growing operation, either: 1. Acquire a water use permit from the Oklahoma Water R esources Board pursuant to Section 105.9 of Title 82 of the Oklahoma Statutes if the commercial growing operation uses gro undwater or water from an Oklahoma stream; or 2. Acquire an offici al statement of permission from the county, municipality, or other political subd ivision that provides water if Req. No. 11387 Page 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 the commercial growing operation uses rural or municipal water and register the statement with the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority. Upon failure of a commercial grower licensee to register the water source of a commercial growing operation with the Authority or, if applicable, receive a permit by the Water R esources Board after ninety (90) days following license ren ewal, the Authority shall revoke the commercial grower license. SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 63 O.S. 2021, Section 4 23, is amended to read as follows: Section 423. A. The State Department of Health shall , within thirty (30) days of passage of this initiative, ma ke available on its website in an easy-to-find location an applicat ion for a medical marijuana processing license. The Department shall be authorized to issue two types of medical marijuana proces sor licenses based on the level of risk posed by the type o f processing conducted: 1. Nonhazardous medical marijuana processo r license; and 2. Hazardous medical marijuana processor license. The application fee for a nonhazardous or hazardous medical marijuana processor license shall be Two Thousand F ive Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00). A method of payment shall be provided on the website of the Department. The State Department of Health shall have ninety (90) days to review the application ; approve, reject or deny the application; and mail the approval, rejection o r denial Req. No. 11387 Page 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 letter stating the reasons for the rejection or denial to the applicant. B. The State Department of Health shall approve all applications which meet the following criteria: 1. The applicant must be twenty-five (25) years of age or older; 2. The applicant, if applying as an individual, must show residency in the State of Oklahoma this state; 3. All applying entities must show that all members, managers, and board members are Oklahoma res idents; 4. An applying entity may show ownership of non -Oklahoma residents, but that percentage ownership may not exceed twenty -five percent (25%); 5. All applying individuals or entities must be registered to conduct business in the State of Oklahoma this state; and 6. All applicants must disclose all ownershi p interests in the processing operation ; and 7. The applicant shall furnish documents evidencing compl iance with the provisions of subsection G of this section. Applicants with a nonviolent felony conviction in the last two (2) years, any other felony con viction in the last five (5) years, inmates in the custody of the Department of Corrections or any person currently incarcerated shall not qualify for a medical marijuana processing license. Req. No. 11387 Page 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 C. 1. A licensed processor may take marijuana plants and distill or process these plants into concentrates, edibles, and other forms for consumption. 2. As required by subsection D of this section, the State Department of Health shall, within sixty (60) days of passage of this initiative, make available a set of stan dards which shall be used by licensed processors in the preparation of edible marijuana products. The standards should be in line with current food preparation guidelines . No excessive or punitiv e rules may be established by the State Department of Healt h. 3. Up to two times a year, the State Department of Health may inspect a processing operation and determi ne its compliance with the preparation standards. If deficiencies are found, a written r eport of the deficiency shall be issued to the licensed processor. The licensed processor shall have one (1) month to correct the deficiency or be subject to a fine o f Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) for each deficiency. 4. A licensed processor may sell m arijuana products it creates to a licensed dispensary or any other licensed processor . All sales by a licensed processor shall be considered wholesale sales and shall not be subject to taxation. 5. Under no circumstances may a licensed processor sell marijuana or any marijuana product directly to a licensed medical marijuana patient or licensed caregiver . However, a licensed Req. No. 11387 Page 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 processor may process cannabis into a conc entrated form for a licensed medical marijuana patient for a fee. 6. Licensed processors shall be required to complete a monthly yield and sales report to the State Department of Health . This report shall be due on the fifteenth of each month and shall provide reporting on the previous month. This report shall detail the amount of marijuana and medical marijuana products purchased in pounds, the amount of marijuana cooked or processed in pounds, and the amount of waste in pounds . Additionally, this repo rt shall show total wholesale sales in dollars. The State Department of Healt h shall have oversight and auditing responsibilities to ensure that all marijuana being processed is accounted for. D. The Department shall oversee the inspection and compliance of licensed processors producing products with marijuana as an additive. The State Department of Health shall be compelled to, within thirty (30) days of passage of this initiative, appoin t twelve (12) Oklahoma residents to the Medical Marijuana Advisory Council, who are marijuana industry experts, to create a list of food safety standards f or processing and handling medical marijuana in Oklahoma. These standards shall be adopted by the Department and the Department may enforce these standards for licensed processors. The Department shall develop a standards review procedure and these standards can be altered by calling anothe r council of twelve (12) Oklahoma marijuana industry experts . A signed letter of twent y Req. No. 11387 Page 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 operating, licensed processors shall constitute a need for a new council and standards review. E. If it becomes permissible under federal law, marijuana may be moved across state lines. F. Any device used for the processing or consumption of medical marijuana shall be considered legal to be sol d, manufactured, distributed and possessed. No merchant, wholesaler, manufacturer or individual may be unduly harassed or prosecuted for sellin g, manufacturing or possessing marijuana paraphernalia. G. A processor applicant or licensee shall, pr ior to engaging in a processing operation, either: 1. Acquire a water use permit from the Oklahom a Water Resources Board pursuant to Section 105.9 of Title 82 of the Oklahoma Statutes if the commercial growing operation uses gro undwater or water fr om an Oklahoma stream; or 2. Acquire an official statement of permission from the county, municipality, or other political subd ivision that provides water if the processing operation uses rural or municipal water and register the statement with the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority. Upon failure of a processor licensee to register the water source of a processing operation with the Authority or, if applicable, receive a permit by the Water R esources Board after ninety (90) days following license ren ewal, the Authority shall revoke the processor license. Req. No. 11387 Page 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2022. 58-2-11387 JL 04/14/22