Governor Fallin along with Legislative leadership have decided against calling a special session to implement State Question 788. Instead, the Health Department’s emergency rules for medicinal marijuana to will go into place as the initial framework.
“After conferring with House and Senate leaders, we believe a special legislative session is not necessary to implement provisions of State Question 788. The Oklahoma State Department of Health has developed emergency rules that will ensure the health and safety of Oklahomans as well as being fair and balanced for the marijuana industry. The Health Department has been working with other agencies the past several months to develop a medical and proper regulatory framework to make sure marijuana use is truly for valid medical reasons. The voters have spoken, and it’s important that our state has a responsible system up and running to meet the deadlines outlined in State Question 788. If circumstances develop that adjustments to the Health Department rules are necessary, those can be addressed when lawmakers return in regular session early next year,” said Fallin in a statement as the decision was made public.
The Health Department has been working on the rules in case voters approved State Question 788. The public has until July 3 to make comments on the proposed rules via email. The Board of Health will consider the rules at its meeting on July 10.
A copy of the proposed rules can be found here.
