Director. A. The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority shall employ an Executive Director and other personnel as necessary to assist the Authority in carrying out its duties. The Executive Director shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Executive Director shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor and may be removed or replaced without cause. Compensation for the Executive Director shall be determined pursuant to Section 3601.2 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes. B. The Authority shall not employ an individual if any of the following circumstances exist: 1. The individual has a direct or indirect interest in a licensed medical marijuana business; or 2. The individual or his or her spouse, parent, child, spouse of a child, sibling, or spouse of a sibling has an application for a medical marijuana business license pending before the Authority or is a member of the board of directors of a medical marijuana business, or is an individual financially interested in any licensee or medical marijuana business. C. All officers and employees of the Authority shall be in the exempt unclassified service. D. The Executive Director may delegate to any officer or employee of the Authority any of the powers of the Executive Director and may designate any officer or employee of the Authority to perform any of the duties of the Executive Director. E. The Executive Director may promulgate rules governing the oversight and implementation of the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana and Patient Protection Act. F. The Authority is hereby authorized to create employment positions necessary for the implementation of its obligations pursuant to the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana and Patient Protection Act including, but not limited to, investigators of the Authority and a director of enforcement. The Authority, the director of enforcement, the Executive Director, investigators of the Authority, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Attorney General shall have all the powers and authority of a peace officer of this state for the purpose of enforcing the provisions of the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana and Patient Protection Act and other laws pertaining to medical marijuana, rules promulgated by the Executive Director, or criminal laws of this state. These powers shall include but not be limited to: 1. Investigating violations or suspected violations of the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana and Patient Protection Act or other laws pertaining to medical marijuana, any rules promulgated pursuant thereto, and any violations of criminal laws of this state discovered through the course of such investigations; 2. Serving and executing all warrants, summonses, subpoenas, administrative citations, notices or other processes relating to the enforcement of laws regulating marijuana, concentrate, and marijuana product; 3. Seizing, destroying, confiscating, embargoing, or placing an administrative hold on any marijuana or marijuana product not properly logged in the inventory tracking system or untraceable product required to be in the system, altered or improperly packaged, or illegally held in violation of the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana and Patient Protection Act, any other laws of this state, or any rules promulgated by the Executive Director; 4. Assisting or aiding any law enforcement officer in the performance of his or her duties upon such law enforcement officer’s request or the request of other local officials having jurisdiction; 5. Referring any evidence, reports, or charges regarding violations of any provision of the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana and Patient Protection Act that carries criminal penalty, or of any other criminal laws of this state, to the appropriate law enforcement authority and prosecutorial authority for action; 6. Aiding the enforcement authorities of this state or any county or municipality of the state, or the federal government, in prosecutions of violations of the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana and Patient Protection Act or any other laws of this state that carry criminal penalty involving crimes discovered during the investigation of violations or suspected violations of the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana and Patient Protection Act or other laws pertaining to medical marijuana or any rules promulgated pursuant thereto; 7. As provided in Section 427.6 of this title, requiring any business applicant or licensee to permit an inspection of licensed premises during business hours or at any time of apparent operation, marijuana equipment, and marijuana accessories, or books and records; and to permit the testing of or examination of medical marijuana, concentrate, or product; 8. Requiring applicants and licensees to submit complete and current applications, information and fees required by the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana and Patient Protection Act, the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Waste Management Act and Sections 420 through 426.1 of this title, and approve material changes made by the applicant or licensee; 9. Requiring medical marijuana business licensees to submit a sample or unit of medical marijuana or medical marijuana product to the quality assurance laboratory when the Authority has reason to believe the medical marijuana or medical marijuana product may be unsafe for patient consumption or inhalation or has not been tested in accordance with the provisions of the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana and Patient Protection Act and the rules and regulations promulgated by the Executive Director. The licensee shall provide the samples or units of medical marijuana or medical marijuana products at its own expense but shall not be responsible for the costs of testing; and 10. Requiring medical marijuana business licensees to periodically submit samples or units of medical marijuana or medical marijuana products to the quality assurance laboratory for quality assurance purposes. Licensed growers, processors, dispensaries and transporters shall not be required to submit samples or units of medical marijuana or medical marijuana products more than twice a year. The licensee shall provide the samples or units of medical marijuana or medical marijuana products at its own expense but shall not be responsible for the costs of testing. G. All investigators of the Authority shall meet all training requirements and qualifications for peace officers as required by Section 3311 et seq. of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes. H. During the course of an investigation, the Authority, as provided by subsection F of this section, may arrest a violator or suspected violator of any laws of this state committed in the presence of the Authority or upon the development of probable cause that such crime has been committed. The Authority as provided by subsection F of this section may, upon request of a sheriff or another peace officer of this state, or any political subdivision thereof, assist in the apprehension and arrest of a violator or suspected violator of any of the laws of this state. I. The Executive Director may employ or contract with attorneys, as needed, to advise the Authority on all legal matters and to appear for and represent the Executive Director and the Authority in all administrative hearings and all litigation or other proceedings which may arise in the discharge of their duties. At the request of the Executive Director, such attorneys shall assist district attorneys in prosecuting charges of violators of the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana and Patient Protection Act or any other laws of this state that carry criminal penalty involving crimes discovered during the investigation of violations or suspected violations of the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana and Patient Protection Act or other laws pertaining to medical marijuana or any rules promulgated pursuant thereto. Added by Laws 2019, c. 11, § 4. Amended by Laws 2021, c. 553, § 10, eff. Nov. 1, 2021; Laws 2022, c. 251, § 9, eff. Nov. 1, 2022; Laws 2023, c. 168, § 3, eff. Nov. 1, 2023; Laws 2023, c. 322, § 6, emerg. eff. June 1, 2023; Laws 2024, c. 452, § 138, emerg. eff. June 14, 2024.
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