OBN addresses black market marijuana in Oklahoma

NARCOTICS SAYING THE SOONER STATE HAS BECOME A LEADING SOURCE FOR ILLEGAL MARIJUANA NATIONWIDE. JOINING NOW TO DISCUSS MARK WOODWARD WITH, OPI AND MARK, GOOD MORNING TO YOU. GOOD MORNING. SO CAN YOU BREAK THIS FOR US? WHAT EVIDENCE, WHAT NUMBERS, WHAT STATISTICS ARE YOU SEEING OF THIS GROWING BLACK MARKET IN OKLAHOMA OVER LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS? WE’VE TALKED WITH NUMEROUS PARTNERS AROUND THE STATES, ESPECIALLY ON THE EAST, FROM NEW YORK TO RHODE ISLAND TO SOUTH CAROLINA, TO FLORIDA, WHO SAY THAT OKLAHOMA GROWN MARIJUANA IS THE NUMBER ONE SOURCE OF THEIR BLACK MARKET MARIJUANA, THAT THEY’RE INTERCEPTING THEIR STATE. AND SO THAT’S HAS INITIATED A NUMBER OF OUR INVESTIGATION TO TWO CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS IN OKLAHOMA. IS THE THE AMOUNT OF MARIJUANA FROM THESE FARMS THAT ARE ENDING UP ON THE BLACK MARKET ALL ACROSS THE UNITED STATES? WHAT HAS LED TO THE GROWTH OF BLACK MARKET HERE? WELL, THE POPULARITY OF HIGH GRADE MARIJUANA AROUND THE UNITED STATES CONTINUES TO CLIMB. OBVIOUSLY, WE’VE GOT OVER 40 STATES WITH SOME FORM OF LEGALIZATION AND THERE’S CRIMINAL ELEMENTS THAT ARE GOING TO WANT TO SUPPLY THAT MARIJUANA UNTAXED AND LARGER AMOUNTS THAN THE CONSUMERS WOULD NORMALLY BE GETTING IN STATES. AND THEY CAN SELL IT MUCH CHEAPER THAN COMMERCIAL MEDICAL MARIJUANA. AND SO A LOT OF THESE THESE GROUPS STARTED GROWING HIGH QUALITY MARIJUANA, BUT THEY’VE MOVED THEIR OPERATIONS. A LOT OF THEM TO OKLAHOMA, BECAUSE WE HAVE LAND CHEAPER LICENSING OF THE LOOSEST REGULATIONS IN THE UNITED. SO THERE’S SEVERAL FACTORS THAT HAVE MADE OKLAHOMA KIND OF PRIME REAL ESTATE FOR THESE CRIMINAL ORGANIZED THAT ARE GROWING MARIJUANA FOR THE BLACK MARKET. I READ SOMETHING ABOUT OWNERSHIP. WHAT IS THAT AND HOW IS THAT PLAYING A ROLE IN THIS? WELL, A CRITICAL PART OF OUR LAW SAYS THAT 75% OF YOUR OWNERSHIP HAS TO BE SOMEBODY WHO’S BEEN AN OKLAHOMA RESIDENT FOR TWO YEARS. SO THESE CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS OBVIOUSLY WOULD NOT QUALIFY, GET A LICENSE COMING IN HERE FROM FROM CALIFORNIA, OTHER STATES. BUT WE’VE HAD LAW AND OTHER CONSULTANTS UP AND SAY, YOU KNOW, DON’T WORRY ABOUT YOUR YOU’RE 75% OWNER. WE’LL FIND SOMEBODY TO PUT DOWN AS YOUR 75% OWNER AND IN EXCHANGE FOR A FEE. AND A LOT OF TIMES THEY’RE PUTTING WHO KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT THE FARM SOMETIMES IT’S A LEGAL SECRETARY IN THE LAWYER’S OFFICE WHO’S NOW CLAIMING TO BE THE THE OWNER OF ANYWHERE FROM SEVEN TO TO 299 FARMS IN OKLAHOMA. AND THEY’RE NOTHING MORE THAN GHOST OWNERS ARE STRAW OWNERS IN ORDER TO ALLOW THESE MANY TIMES ORGANIZATIONS TO COME GET A LICENSE IN OUR STATE. SO OF COURSE THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE HERE IN OUR STATE THAT ARE DOING THE RIGHT WAY. HOW DOES THIS IMPACT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING BUSINESS LEGALLY? RIGHT. MANY OF THE PEOPLE WE’VE TALKED IN THE INDUSTRY THEMSELVES SAY THAT THEY’RE BLEEDING TO DEATH FINANCIALLY BECAUSE THEY CANNOT COMPETE WITH THE BLACK MARKET PRICES. YOU KNOW, MANY OF THESE LEGITIMATE GROWERS OR IT MAY COST HIM 800 TO $900 A POUND TO GROW. AND THAT’S OFTENTIMES WHAT THEY’RE SELLING FOR IT. AND SO THEY’RE BARELY MAKING PROFIT, WHEREAS THE CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS OFTENTIMES ARE USING HUMAN TRAFFICKING, CHEAP LABOR FROM DESPERATE PEOPLE ARE HERE ILLEGALLY. AND SO THEY’RE CUTTING CORNERS AT EVERY AT EVERY TURN AND THEY’RE ABLE TO GROW FOR AS LITTLE AS $100 A POUND. AND SO LEGITIMATE GROWERS AND DISPENSARY FEES SAY THEY CANNOT COMPETE WITH SO OF THE BLACK MARKET MARIJUANA THAT IS PRIMARILY THE NUMBER ONE SOURCE ON THE STREETS. AND THEN HOW IS THIS IMPACTING CONSUMER IN TURN? WELL, THE CONSUMERS, IT’S A CONCERN BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE ARE CUTTING CORNERS ALSO ON PESTICIDES ROADSIDES AND OTHER ILLEGAL CHEMICALS THAT THEY’RE USING ON THEIR PRODUCTS. THAT CERTAINLY COULD HAVE AN ADVERSE REACTION FOR PATIENTS. AND SO WE’RE VERY CONCERNED THAT SOME OF THIS BLACK MARKET MARIJUANA COULD CERTAINLY BE REACHING SOME DISPENSARIES AND BEING SOLD NOT JUST HERE IN OKLAHOMA, BUT IN THE BLACK MARKET, IN DISPENSARIES IN OTHER STATES WHERE THEY’RE BUYING CHEAPER BLACK MARKET MARIJUANA. THAT’S NOT TESTED. YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT HAZARDS COULD BE. CERTAINLY FOR A PATIENT WHO’S COMPROMISED. AND THEN IT’S ALSO BILLIONS OF DOLLARS NOT CAPTURED BY. OUR STATE OF OKLAHOMA THAT IS GOING TO THE BLACK MARKET AND IT’S LINING THE POCKETS OF THE CARTELS WHO ARE WIRING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND LAUNDERING OF WORLDWIDE THROUGH THE MARIJUANA THAT’S BEING SOLD THROUGH OKLAHOMA FARMS. COULD YOU TALK ABOUT THE WORK YOU GUYS ARE DOING TO COMBAT THIS ISSUE? IS THERE ANYTHING LEGISLATION WISE THAT YOU GUYS BRING TO THE TABLE TO HELP FIGHT BACK? WELL, IT’S TWOFOLD. WE’RE GOING AFTER THESE CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS ARE GROWING HERE IN OKLAHOMA AND MOVING THEIR PRODUCT TO THE BLACK MARKET AND LAUNDERING THEIR MONEY WORLDWIDE TO THEIR CRIMINAL GROUPS. BUT WE’RE ALSO GOING AFTER THESE LAW FIRMS, CONSULTANTS, BROKERS, WHATEVER WANT TO CALL THEMSELVES, WHO ARE HELPING A LICENSE FOR THESE CRIMINAL GROUPS BY CREATING THESE FRAUDULENT STRAW OWNERSHIP STRUCTURES IN TO LOOK LIKE A LEGITIMATE BUSINESS. WHEN THEY’RE NOT, I THINK MORE THAN A FRAUD STRUCTURE. THAT’S A USE TO TO ACQUIRE A LICENSE FOR THESE GROUPS AND WE’VE GOT A COMMITMENT FROM OUR LEGISLATURE TO PROVIDE MORE FUNDING FOR OUR AGENCY SO WE CAN HIRE ADDITIONAL AGENTS WITH A FULL TIME FOCUS ON GOING AFTER THESE CRIMINAL GROUPS. WE’VE SHUT DOWN NEARLY 200 FARMS. I WOULD SAY WE HAVE CLOSE TO 2000 THAT ARE UNDER INVESTIGATION, BUT RIGHT NOW WE SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE MANPOWER TO KEEP UP WITH THE INFLUX OF INFORMATION WE’RE GETTING ABOUT THESE CRIMINALS IN OKLAHOMA. SO, MARK, ONE MORE QUESTION HERE. AND I’M CURIOUS. THERE HAVE BEEN CALLS TO LEGALIZE RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA HERE IN OUR STATE. HOW DO YOU THINK THAT WOULD IMPACT THE THE BLACK MARKET INDUSTRY? WOULD IT MAKE THINGS WORSE OR IN YOUR VIEW? WELL WE CAN WE CAN LEARN FROM OUR OTHER STATES AND MANY STATES THAT HAVE LEGALIZED MARIJUANA RECREATIONALLY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS THEY DO WITH THE THE MEDICAL. AND THAT IS THERE’S PEOPLE WHO DON’T WANT TO BE TAXED MARIJUANA. THEY’D RATHER BUY IT ON THE BLACK MARKET. THERE’S MANY PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO CAN MAKE IT THE PRICE DROP BY BY GROWING CHEAPER ON THE BLACK MARKET. AND SO THEY CAN SELL LOWER AND DRIVE DEMAND. SO YOU STILL HAVE A BLACK MARKET WHETHER YOU’VE GOT MEDICAL, RECREATIONAL IN YOUR STATE. WE’VE LEARNED THIS FROM OUR PARTNERS, FROM COLORADO TO CALIFORNIA. ALL RIGHT, MARK WOODWARD WITH THE N, WE APPRECIATE THE

OBN addresses black market marijuana in Oklahoma

OBN talked about ghost ownership, illegal operations and how they are combatting them

Updated: 10:50 AM CST Dec 19, 2022

The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics says the Sooner state has become a leading source for illegal marijuana nationwide.Click the video player above to watch the full interview.

The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics says the Sooner state has become a leading source for illegal marijuana nationwide.

Click the video player above to watch the full interview.