Court Grants Temporary Restraining Order Against State’s Plan To Track Medical Marijuana

After a lawsuit filed by a medical marijuana business against Oklahoma's tracking system plan, a court granted a temporary restraining order to put the system on hold.

Thursday, April 29th 2021, 6:15 pm

By: Amelia Mugavero

OKMULGEE COUNTY, Oklahoma -

The state’s new tracking system for medical marijuana is being put on hold for 60 days after a marijuana business sued the state.

The business claims the tracking system would allow a single, private business to have a monopoly.

That new tracking system was supposed to start Friday, but that plan was delayed after a judge issued a temporary restraining order. The business is hoping the state will drop the company hired to operate the tracking system.

A couple hundred people from across the state gathered in front of the Okmulgee Country Courthouse for one goal.

"I'd like to see Oklahoma push metric out of the state," Brandon Rust told News on 6.

He said dispensary owners and growers are unhappy with the state's new tracking system that contracted with the Florida company Metrc. He said too much money would go out-of-state.

"This is really important that we fight back. We need the funds to stay in Oklahoma this needs to stay for the people," Rust said.

John Cumbis said the company will force growers to pay more for tags and licenses.

"The biggest problem with metric is that we are being forced, until yesterday, to buy a tag from Metrc. So, that's a monopoly," Cumbis said.

A Tulsa law firm asked for a restraining order on the Department of Health and the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority to halt the Metrc tracking system for 60 days.

"I want to make it clear we don't have an issue with the seed to sell tracking program. We have an issue with the manner in which the state has adopted this one," said Attorney Ron Durbin. He said this order is a win for the cannabis community and is glad the state is listening.

"They are at least taking this seriously that they are going to look at this issue and that this needs to be something that is more and focused on the entire state," Durbin added.

The restraining order will be in effect until the next hearing on June 29. The attorney general's office has until June 1 to respond.