MARIETTA, OKLA (KFOR) — The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) busted an illegal drug operation in Marietta. Agents there seized 6,703 marijuana plants. It's one of several busts from OBN just this month.
"This is one of dozens of operations that we've conducted over the last just this fall alone linked to places that are growing marijuana without an OBN registration," said Mark Woodward, with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.
It's required in Oklahoma to have a license from the Medical Marijuana Authority and OBN to operate a marijuana business.
Woodward said many grow operations follow those rules, but a lot don't.
In addition to the 6,703 plants seized, OBN agents also found 57 pounds of processed marijuana. The latest bust adds to the large number of shutdowns in the state.
"Our agency has shut down almost 7,000 marijuana farms that we've tied either black market out of state sales, fraudulent licenses, or growing without a license and tied them to arrested almost 400 people and seized over 2 million marijuana plants," said Woodward.
OBN said there's been a change in the last three years.
"Oklahoma was a joke nationally on the late-night talk shows. The wild west of weed," said Woodward.
Now, Woodward has a message for illegal growers.
"Don't come to Oklahoma if you're a criminal and try to grow marijuana because you're probably going to jail when you go from nearly 10,000 farms to down to 2,400 in just three years," said Woodward.
OBN agents said arrests are expected as they continue their investigation into the Marietta bust.
