Senate approves bill to expand distance between marijuana facilities, schools

OKLAHOMA CITY — A bill to require greater setback requirements for medical marijuana facilities passed the Oklahoma Senate this week and now heads to the House.

Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, said his Senate Bill 640 strengthens safeguards for Oklahoma students and places of worship by expanding the setback requirement. The bill increases the required distance between medical marijuana dispensaries from school entrances and places of worship to 3,000 feet (it now is 1,000 feet), significantly reducing exposure to marijuana-related marketing, imagery or grow operations.

The legislation is not retroactive and will not impact existing businesses.

Paxton said the legislation comes in response to mounting concerns from parents, educators, community leaders, including pastors, ministers and church leaders about the increasing visibility of marijuana-related businesses near schools and places of worship.

“Too often, dispensaries use bright signs, gimmicky branding and other marketing ploys designed to grab attention,” he said. “The last thing we need is for our kids to walk past these storefronts on their way to school or while at church, normalizing the presence of marijuana at a young age. Oklahoma voters approved medical marijuana, but they did not approve exposing children to its marketing. This is a commonsense step to align our policies with the intent of voters — keeping access for patients while minimizing exposure for minors.”