Illegal cannabis grows are still sprouting in south-central Oklahoma.
Criminal interdictions — like traffic stops on Interstate 35 — are one way to slow the spread of illegal cannabis.
Mark Woodward, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, said the criminal interdictions are also taking place in North Texas, where transporters admit their cannabis comes from farms in Oklahoma.
Two years ago, there were nearly 9,000 cannabis growers across the state; more than 6,000 remain today. OBN cites investigations leading to the grows being shut down or operators surrendering their licenses as reasons behind the decline.
"We've got close to 6,500 to 7,000 active grows in the State of Oklahoma with a license," Woodward said. "I can tell you that close to 3,000 of them are flagged right now for investigations as either growing for the black market out-of-state, or they obtained their license by fraud."
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