Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt released a letter on Monday aimed at coordinating a statewide effort for enforcement against the unlawful manufacturing, distribution and sale of psychoactive marijuana byproducts, also known as intoxicating hemp. Stitt said the substances pose a growing risk to public health and safety across the state.
In a letter addressed to Secretary of Public Safety Tricia Everest, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control Director Donnie Anderson, Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority Executive Director Adria Berry, Department of Public Safety Commissioner Tim Tipton, and Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Director Greg Mashburn, Stitt called for a cross-agency effort to strengthen regulatory and enforcement actions against these substances.
"These compounds, often marketed to young people, have psychoactive properties that threaten the safety and well-being of Oklahomans," said Gov. Stitt. "We must act quickly and collaboratively to address this emerging threat and ensure that both licensed and illicit markets are held accountable."
Stitt specifically cited concerns about the now notorious Delta-8 THC. Stitt said these compounds are often synthesized or chemically altered from hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) and are increasingly available without adequate regulatory oversight.
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