The Green Mile is alive and well in Oklahoma City. This is no Stephen King fictional twist, it’s a small portion of the city off the 240 expressway between 109th and 29th st. Over 30 medical cannabis dispensaries operate in this small portion of the city. The pace at which legal cannabis in Oklahoma is spreading is setting the bar incredibly high and shattering the cannabis user stigmas that hang over the Bible Belt’s reputation. 80,000 medical patients were expected to register in the first year and they were only off by about 130,000. By November 1, over 200,000 patients registered. according to Chilly Mack, owner of Mr. Mack’s edible brand and Mr. Mack’s Cannabis Co. Legal weed in Oklahoma is alive, well, and spreading like a happy pain managing virus.
Medical Program Roll Out
Oklahoma’s medical scene is defined by a prolific and loose medical program rollout. HB 2612 established the state’s medical cannabis program and rules, while SQ 788 made several notable changes and legalized the sale of cannabis. More people voted for 788 than the state governorship. You read that correctly, more people voted for the sale of medical cannabis than the governor of Oklahoma.
Where most states are stingy with the initial licenses, Oklahoma has already registered over 1100 dispensaries statewide (not all of the licenses are open and operating). The speed at which this cannabis industry has grown has been unprecedented, while Washington took years to get their supply chains and retail spaces running proficiently, it took Oklahoma less than a year to produce profitable results.
However, rolling out a program with this speed is going to hit some speed bumps. Licenses were handed out so fast that production severely outpaced regulation in the early months. “The True definition of the wild wild west,” Mack says. Licensees were operating out of their houses were shipping edibles to dispensaries, which obviously breaks a comical list of codes.
Sales and Stats
The Sooner State’s cannabis sales just hit $7.2 million in February, which is up from $4.3 million in January and a mere $1 million in December. It took less than a year for Oklahoma’s cannabis industry to be one of the most profitable in the entire union after boasting $258 million in sales in the first 10 months.
Who’s Using and Why?
An all medical industry provides a radically different main demographic using cannabis in Oklahoma. Elderly women are among the chief medical cannabis patients in the state. Mack tracks the analytics at his dispensary and it shows an overall 65/35 split female to male with an average age of 50 and over.
A few things caused this trend, but one of them is how addiction riddled the state is, Mack says. Oklahoma ranked second highest in the nation for the rate of substance abuse disorders at 11.9 percent in 2017. Many people are turning to cannabis as a safe and legal alternative to far more addictive pain management therapies.
Any State Push Back?
There’s always the occasional county or township that freezes producers out by establishing lofty fees that make business operations unreasonable. But overall the reception of cannabis in the state has been overwhelmingly positive. Cannabis acceptance is evident when you remember that 788 passed with 56 percent of the vote. Politicians are going to see this and chase that green vote because it’s obvious now that pro-cannabis candidate could capture a large voter pool. Mack also reports that law enforcement officers have been incredibly cooperative when with user’s rights and are even trained on how to handle patients.
Having such an older demographic predominantly using cannabis has crushed the stoner stigma with a grandparental luster that has given way to an incredible amount of comradery within the cannabis scene which is burrowing incredible roots for their blossoming cannabis culture.
Is Recreational Cannabis On The Way?
Yes, but Mack thinks they’re probably going to have to wait a couple of years for legal cannabis in Oklahoma. He expects it to be on the 2021 ballot.
Popular Strains and Products
A lot of the old head smokers like old head strains. The Cheeses, Skunks, and East Coast Sour Diesels of the world. However, designer strains like Truffle Butter, Tropicana Cookies, Forbidden Fruit, and Gelato Cake have won High Times Cannabis Cup awards. Mr. Mack himself took home third-place awards in the edible category for his caramel pot pops and topical category for his THC – infused lotion. Legal cannabis in Oklahoma already showcases an impressive edible, topical, and concentrate market.
