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For the first time this summer, House Majority Floor Leader, Jon Echols, believes that a Special Session just might be averted altogether.
Today the Bicameral Interim Study on Medical Marijuana met for the 7th time. The topic was testing, standards, and labeling. the Health Dept. discussed their decisions on the creation of emergency rules; namely, which rules they believed they had the constitutional authority to impose for the immediate rollout of medical cannabis, until the 2019 legislature could establish permanent statutory language for such long term solutions. When the Health Dept. completed their presentation, Echols began a series of very pointed and specific questions regarding the Health Dept's view of their authority. He pointed out that the agency had no more authority to create labeling standards than they had to create the testing mandates. Some are wondering if this isn't Echols' "plan B" as a result of not getting the needed consensus on a legislative proposal? If agency rules can address testing, then the other matters might be able to wait until February and the regular legislative session with the new lawmakers. |
Democrat Leader Steve Kouplin confers with Majority Floor Leader Jon Echols.
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Whatever the political realities, Echols seemed quite optimistic when he held his weekly radio segment with KOKC's The Ride, on Wednesday afternoon. He said that he's had 'good' discussions with Democrat Leader Steve Kouplin, but had no solid news to report about areas of consensus.
Echols believes that the Oklahoma State Board of Health will have broad support for their efforts if they approach the task in an open and moderate process. Legal produce will be ready for processing and sale in late October. If rules can be created by mid October, there may be testing resources in place for the new crops of November. He believes that the testing standards is the most pressing matter for those patients who will need to rely on the marketplace to provide their cannabis medicines. Patients are depending on a consistent and predictable potency and purity of consumable products. this is especially true when patients are just beginning their new treatment protocols. |
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Lawrence Pasternack, an OSU professor who spoke to the interim study group, discussed his expectations to Chris Moe, on the Uncle Grumpy podcast.
