Growing your own medical marijuana is a fantastic option for many MMJ card holders. Luckily, in Oklahoma, it’s relatively simple to get started. Let’s take a look at the rules, requirements, and practicalities so you’ve got everything you need to start growing medical marijuana in Oklahoma.
Is It Legal To Grow Medical Marijuana In Oklahoma?
The first question, and the most important, is: does an Oklahoma medical marijuana card let you grow MMJ? The answer is yes! In Oklahoma, you can grow medical marijuana with only a medical marijuana patient license. An MMJ card allows a person to:
- Consume marijuana legally;
- Legally possess up to three (3) ounces (84.9 grams) of marijuana on their person;
- Legally possess six mature marijuana plants;
- Legally possess six seedling plants;
- Legally possess (1) ounce (28.3 grams) of concentrated marijuana;
- Legally possess seventy-two (72) ounces (2,037.6 grams) of edible marijuana; and
- Legally possess up to eight (8) ounces (226.4 grams)of marijuana in their residence.
For growing, this means you are able to cultivate six full plants or six seedlings, depending on what else you have, since possession is considered cumulative. Any more than this and you need to be a commercial grower, which requires a grower’s permit. This is only necessary if you are looking to grow commercially – if you’re growing for personal consumption, a regular MMJ patient license will suffice.
Growing medical marijuana in Oklahoma can be a great option for many MMJ card holders.
To get an MMJ card in Oklahoma you need to apply to OMMA, the state’s MMJ governing body. You’ll need to submit your personal details, proof of Oklahoma residency, proof of identity, a clear, color, full-face digital photograph, and a physician’s recommendation. Some people opt to go to their regular doctor for this, but many more prefer to apply for this recommendation online through a platform such as MMJRecs. To do so, you simply need to submit a standard medical form along with the necessary attachments, then have a video consultation with a registered professional. If they believe you will benefit from medical marijuana, they are able to recommend you for a card. Completing the process online is preferable for many potential MMJ patients, as it means doing the whole thing from the comfort of your own home with professionals who know what they’re talking about.
How To Grow Medical Marihuana In Oklahoma: Dos and Don’ts
As stated before, the law stipulates a growing cap of six mature marijuana plants or six seedlings. In addition to the limitations on how much you can grow, there are also very strict rules about who can consume it – namely, only you. You can’t give or sell your medical marijuana to anybody else, nor any other entity; this means you can’t sell it to processors or dispensaries. Additionally, Oklahoma legislation states that “medical marijuana grown by medical marijuana patient license holders or caregivers may only be grown on real property owned by the patient license holder or on real property for which the patient license holder has the property owner’s written permission to grow medical marijuana on the property.” It can’t be grown where it is accessible to a member of the general public, nor can it be visible from “any street adjacent to the property.”
Furthermore, after growing MMJ, you can’t legally “operate or otherwise use any extraction equipment or processes utilizing butane, propane, carbon dioxide or any potentially hazardous material.”
Now we’ve covered the legalities of growing medical marijuana in Oklahoma, let’s look at the practicalities. Like many plants, it requires specifics to thrive, so if you’re looking to grow often, take the time to do your research. However, unlike other plants, medical marijuana can sometimes bloom in total darkness. That said, it’s still better to try to optimize your plants by providing them with plenty of light, water, and fertilizer. Your plants will respond well to fertilizer during their vegetative growth period, and using one high in nitrogen can help boost rapid growth. Once the plants flower, switch to a fertilizer that’s rich in phosphates and potassium, since this will help encourage large buds. The flowering stage is the last in marijuana’s lifecycle, so the plant will die after this. But by this stage you should have harvested what you need, and can then start the whole process again.
If you choose to grow MMJ in Oklahoma, just follow the rules and regulations and you’ll be fine.
What If You Don’t Want To Grow MMJ In Oklahoma?
Growing your own medical marijuana is not for everyone. Some MMJ card holders aren’t able to due to their ailments, and others may just not have much of a green thumb. That’s fine – there are other ways to get medical marijuana in Oklahoma without growing it. The main one is, of course, finding a local dispensary, and there’s no shortage to choose from; Oklahoma State has approved more than 1,500 dispensaries since medical marijuana was legalized.
If you are unable to grow medical marijuana for health reasons and have opted to have a caregiver apply for an MMJ card on your behalf, they are able to fulfill the same cultivation rights as you would. However, they can only do this for up to five patients.
Growing medical marijuana in Oklahoma is relatively simple, and so long as you stay within the restrictions imposed by the OMMA, you should have no problems cultivating a great crop. The most important thing to do before you start growing is to make sure you have a valid MMJ card – a process that’s simple if you go through MMJRecs!