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Oklahoma lawmakers send medical marijuana bill to governor

Oklahoma Marijuana-Rapid Rollout
Posted at 7:42 AM, Mar 12, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-12 08:42:08-04

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Oklahoma's booming new medical marijuana industry will have some new state regulations to follow under a bill that is now headed to the governor's desk.

The Oklahoma Senate voted 43-5 on Monday for the measure known as the "unity bill " because it's supported by various factions of the cannabis industry. It now heads to new Gov. Kevin Stitt.

The bill sets up guidelines for inventory testing and tracking, advertising, packaging and labeling, among other things. It also allows employers to fire medical marijuana users in certain "safety-sensitive jobs" who test positive for the drug. Those include firefighters and workers who carry firearms, drive vehicles or operate heavy machinery.

Although the bill sets up regulations, it isn't intended to curb the explosive growth of the medical marijuana industry in Oklahoma.

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