OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Some cannabis industry partners and leadership in Oklahoma are hopeful a 10% cut to the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority's (OMMA) staff will make the state agency more efficient.
A spokesperson for the agency confirmed the cuts Tuesday in an email sent to News 4, noting they were made to maximize taxpayer dollars. In an email sent to staff, OMMA Executive Director Adria Berry stressed the restructuring effort was necessary to ensure the agency was nimble and ready for future endeavors.
"This is an opportunity to innovate and grow, ensuring that our agency remains a leading force in regulating cannabis and serving our community," said Berry in the email.
News 4 employees sat down with a former employee Tuesday who described the transition as a blindside. Reaction followed Wednesday from the Oklahoma Cannabis Industry Association (OCIA), expressing concerns over the potential impacts.
"The industry is concerned that it reduces the ability for OMMA to conduct oversight for the industry just when they seem to be getting a handle on the industry," said founding OCIA board member Mike Ervin. "Now we see lay offs and we believe that will affect their ability to provide the oversight necessary."
OMMA has not released a list of the positions that were let go, so Ervin says it's hard to know for sure if it's the right move or a potential hinderance.
"Perhaps those with certain positions and skill sets are no longer as necessary as they once were," said Ervin. "We certainly hope that those skill sets and positions that OMMA feels are not necessary at this point in their growth and progression are replaced with others than can reduce the backlogs that we've seen, both in the call service center, as well as in the licensing, processing and renewal."
Similar arguments were made by a spokesperson for Oklahomans for Responsible Cannabis Action (ORCA), Jed Green, Thursday. Green said that he understood why a restructuring may be necessary.
"There had previously been about 10,000 grow licenses in the state," said Green. "There's obviously been a drastic reduction in the number of licenses that are issued by OMMA."
Green said his concern, like Ervin's, is that for a couple of years some in the industry have experienced long delays in the licensing renewal and transfer processes; calling them detrimental to the industry.
"Our hope is that while OMMA is rightsizing the agency to our industry that they find those efficiencies, particularly at their core duty, which is to renew and assist businesses in licensing."
Green said, to give the agency credit, he has noticed an uptick in the last few weeks in the agency's ability to process licenses. He said he hopes to see more collaboration from the agency with lawmakers and people in the industry in the future.
"Our number one concern as an organization is that we know that we've got consumer safe products on the shelves; and that only happens when there is a clear path for businesses to be able to get those products there," said Green.
The OCIA is also pointing some blame at budgetary restrictions set by Oklahoma's legislature as something that's crippling progress for the OMMA.
"We generate about $60 million more than the appropriation to regulate the industry," said Ervin. "We believe that money should be spent, regulated in the industry so that's better for not only all industry participants, but for Oklahomans in general."
