{"id":34761,"date":"2022-04-21T04:00:29","date_gmt":"2022-04-21T09:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/?p=34761"},"modified":"2022-04-21T11:31:20","modified_gmt":"2022-04-21T16:31:20","slug":"striking-gold-in-the-green-rush-entrepreneurs-tap-into-oklahomas-weed-economy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2022\/04\/21\/striking-gold-in-the-green-rush-entrepreneurs-tap-into-oklahomas-weed-economy\/","title":{"rendered":"Striking gold in the green rush: entrepreneurs tap into Oklahoma&#8217;s weed economy"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; margin-bottom: 20px; border-radius: 6px; overflow: hidden;\"><iframe style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px;\" src=\"https:\/\/player.captivate.fm\/episode\/27e3a14c-1c06-4222-bb62-652c00ddaed1\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It started with a smoke shop.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s now a multi-level, vertically integrated company making a name for itself in the brave new frontier of Oklahoma\u2019s cannabis industry.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Arshad Lasi is the 23-year-old CEO of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nirvana-dispensary.com\/home\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Nirvana Group<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a cannabis company that employs about 150 people and features five dispensaries, two distribution facilities, three manufacturing facilities and a farm with 7,000 square feet of cultivation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lasi, a marketing and management senior at the University of Houston, was interning for a private equity firm when his father, who owned and ran a smoke shop, got a cold email about getting into Michigan\u2019s cannabis industry. The Michigan opportunity fell through, but about a month later, the Lasis started hearing about SQ 788 \u2014 the state question that would legalize medical cannabis in Oklahoma. Once the question was passed, the Lasis went all in.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI\u2019m like, at first, it\u2019s Oklahoma. It\u2019s not going to happen. They\u2019re not going to get enough signatures,\u201d Lasi said. \u201cThe next month, 788 passed, and we were astonished. And we immediately started applying for licenses. And here we are, three and a half years later.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_34772\"  class=\"wp-caption module image aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 672px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-34772\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0160-672x377.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"672\" height=\"377\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0160-672x377.jpg 672w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0160-1920x1078.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0160-768x431.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0160-1536x862.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0160-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0160-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0160-620x348.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0160.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 672px) 100vw, 672px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Kateleigh Mills\/KOSU<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">A variety of cannabis products line the shelves from floor to ceiling. The Lasis run the state&#8217;s only cash-and-carry warehouse.<\/p>\n<\/div><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Lasis, like many cannabis business owners in Oklahoma, have navigated the murky waters of Oklahoma\u2019s early medical marijuana days. While the Lasis have found success, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/journalrecord.com\/2021\/08\/17\/cheap-easy-entry-leads-to-saturation-of-oklahomas-medical-marijuana-market\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">unprecedented low barriers to entry<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have saturated the industry, creating a \u201cwild west of weed\u201d where some sink and some swim.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">StateImpact and KOSU asked listeners how the cannabis industry is affecting their communities. Over 150 people responded in voicemails, texts, emails and social media posts to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kosu.org\/local-news\/2022-03-07\/tell-us-how-is-marijuana-impacting-you-or-your-community\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">callout for insights<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. One of the major themes that emerged was a focus on economic impact.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The economic impact of Oklahoma\u2019s blossoming industry reaches far beyond cannabis business owners \u2014 from packaging and banking partners to storefront landlords and thousands of employees. But as for state and local revenue from cannabis taxes, officials hesitate to characterize the industry as a silver bullet to the state\u2019s economic woes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><b>Betting on success<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Lasi family started with one dispensary that quickly became three. Arshad Lasi juggled going to school full time in another state with helping his father manage the shops, the first of which opened in January 2019. Lasi went to class Monday through Wednesday, took an evening flight to Tulsa, and helped his father open and close their dispensaries for the rest of the week.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIn the beginning, it was pretty rough,\u201d Lasi said. \u201cSunday, I would fly out back to Houston. Monday, wake up, go to school\u2026 did that for about nine months,\u201d Lasi said. \u201cIt sucked, but it was necessary. We had to do it.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lasi said a silver lining of the pandemic was being able to stay in Tulsa and take his classes remotely online. He hopes to graduate at the end of the summer.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After finding a rhythm with running their dispensaries, the Lasis began expanding their company and consolidating their supply chain. They launched their own brands of cannabis products, including <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/learn\/consume\/edibles\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">edibles<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/learn\/consume\/smoke\/what-is-pre-roll\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pre-rolls<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/learn\/cannabis-glossary\/vape#:~:text=What%20is%20a%20vaping%3F,dab%20rigs%20and%20e%2Dnails.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">vape cartridges<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. They bought land, put down some greenhouses and a lab, and got to work cultivating and developing new products.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_34773\"  class=\"wp-caption module image alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 672px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-34773\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0164-672x377.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"672\" height=\"377\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0164-672x377.jpg 672w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0164-1920x1078.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0164-768x431.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0164-1536x862.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0164-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0164-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0164-620x348.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0164.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 672px) 100vw, 672px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Kateleigh Mills\/KOSU<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Nirvana Group employee checks, packages and labels vape cartridges at the company&#8217;s Tulsa-based warehouse.<\/p>\n<\/div><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Nirvana Group runs the state\u2019s only cash-and-carry wholesaler, which allows dispensary owners to shop Costco-style for cannabis products to sell in their shops.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Lasis aren\u2019t the only ones benefiting from the company\u2019s success. The Nirvana Group contracts with several partners: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/originalphilipsrx.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Philips RX<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> makes disposable canisters, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/gnln.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Greenlane<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> does packaging and waste disposal, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.distru.com\/?utm_term=distru&utm_campaign=Oklahoma&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=6992369125&hsa_cam=16285707332&hsa_grp=136303134689&hsa_ad=583103109787&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=kwd-364565230510&hsa_kw=distru&hsa_mt=b&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3v6SBhCsARIsACyrRAkM8a-cCq2yBxIrbj02oLnJo0-w291XYzirUCBLD1_IRBQBqLca1iMaAhBMEALw_wcB\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Distru<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> manages the software for distribution and the point of sale system, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.leaflink.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LeafLink<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> offers a business-to-business connection platform, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.regent.bank\/?_vsrefdom=cmgd&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3v6SBhCsARIsACyrRAm-zx-B9HF8a-SXUBzFSAQ7_4RZO3VylgoHj-aAInKz5PtvKy9mQUwaAilbEALw_wcB\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regent Bank<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> handles their financials.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lasi said The Nirvana Group employs 150 employees, about 95% of whom are full time. He said the company is structured to encourage upward mobility.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe hire within and we promote within,\u201d Lasi said. \u201cSo people who started as budtenders can work as store managers, can work as district managers, can work as warehouse managers. We move them up.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to a 2020 estimate in the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/leafly-cms-production.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/13180206\/Leafly-JobsReport-2021-v14.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Leafly Jobs Report<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Oklahoma had over 16,000 full time equivalent employees in the cannabis industry \u2014 more than the number of construction workers in the state.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_34774\"  class=\"wp-caption module image alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 672px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-34774\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0156-672x377.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"672\" height=\"377\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0156-672x377.jpg 672w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0156-1920x1078.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0156-768x431.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0156-1536x862.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0156-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0156-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0156-620x348.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/IMG_0156.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 672px) 100vw, 672px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Kateleigh Mills\/KOSU<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bags of cannabis sit in crates at The Nirvana Group&#8217;s Tulsa-based warehouse.<\/p>\n<\/div><p><b>\u2018They deserve an opportunity to be part of the industry.\u2019<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With business licenses costing $2,500 \u2014 compared to neighboring Arkansas with a $100,000 license fee and $500,000 performance bond \u2014 Oklahoma\u2019s low barriers to entry have allowed thousands to flood the market, with about 13,000 business licenses issued since 2018. In a state with roughly 10% of its population being medical cardholders, the so-called Oklahoma \u201cGreen Rush\u201d makes for big business opportunities.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oklahoma has another policy that makes cannabis entrepreneurship more accessible: less limits. In states like Colorado, recreational cannabis is prohibited from being sold in localities that outlaw it. Arkansas allows only 40 dispensaries to operate in the entire state. But in the nearly four years since legalization, Oklahoma has doubled the number of Colorado\u2019s recreational and medical dispensaries combined.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But not everyone sees Oklahoma\u2019s accessible market as a positive. The state has had its <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/kfor.com\/news\/local\/obn-agents-bust-illegal-marijuana-operation-discover-possible-case-of-human-labor-trafficking\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">share<\/span><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kwch.com\/2021\/07\/31\/massive-marijuana-bust-made-kay-county-okla\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of<\/span><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oklahoman.com\/story\/news\/2022\/02\/22\/raid-illegal-black-market-marijuana-operations-oklahoma-farms-residences-law-enforcement\/6893475001\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">black<\/span><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.koco.com\/article\/oklahoma-payne-county-marijuana-grow-bust\/39673991\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">market<\/span><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news9.com\/story\/6183517f3a55300c019d5ea2\/obn-agents-say-oklahoma-has-become-countrys-1-supplier-of-illegal-marijuana\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">marijuana<\/span><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/kfor.com\/news\/local\/obn-illegal-marijuana-cocaine-and-guns-found-in-midwest-city-dispensary-raid\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">busts<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This legislative session, lawmakers are bolstering Oklahoma\u2019s licensure process with more fees.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><a href=\"http:\/\/webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us\/cf_pdf\/2021-22%20FLR\/SFLR\/HB2179%20SFLR.PDF\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">House Bill 2179<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Rep. Scott Fetgatter, R-Okmulgee, would require indoor and greenhouse-style commercial growers to pay the initial $2,500 as a base, then an additional $1.50 per square foot for canopies over 1,667 feet. Another bill, <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us\/cf_pdf\/2021-22%20FLR\/HFLR\/SB1697%20HFLR.PDF\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Senate Bill 1697<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Kingfisher Republican Sen. Darcy Jech, would require commercial growers to acquire at least a $25,000 bond for the purpose of land reclamation. A full list of current bills as of publication time can be <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2022\/04\/18\/a-guide-to-the-oklahoma-legislatures-newest-round-of-cannabis-bills\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">viewed here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For would-be business owners without much up-front capital, Oklahoma has provided a relatively easy way to break into the weed business. But critics of the proposed legislation argue efforts to raise the barriers to entry may disproportionately impact non-white business owners.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A 2017 Marijuana Business Daily survey found less than 10% of business owners are Black or Latino. Other states have tried to address this issue by creating equity laws, which are geared toward encouraging people from disadvantaged backgrounds to start businesses in the industry. In practice, results have been mixed.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">California\u2019s 2018 Cannabis Equity Act sought to provide financial and technical assistance to business owners from economically disadvantaged communities, or from communities that had been disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs. The program has been <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california\/story\/2022-01-27\/california-pot-industry-social-equity-broken-promises\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">widely criticized<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for its low overall impact, chiefly due to the fact localities can choose whether to participate in the program.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To qualify for the equity program in Denver, Colorado, at least 51% of a business must be owned by someone who can prove at least one of the following: the would-be owner or their family was arrested on cannabis-related offenses, they earn under 50 percent of the state\u2019s median income or if they\u2019re from a designated low-economic opportunity zone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Critics of this program say existing retailers are <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westword.com\/marijuana\/colorado-denver-cannabis-social-equity-marijuana-rules-op-ed-13884141\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">using the arrest criteria to apply for social equity licenses<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, leading to 80% of the state\u2019s social equity retail dispensary licenses to be issued to big names in the industry: Kind Love, Yuma Way and Star Buds.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Still, business professionals like Lasi see value in attempting a social equity system.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI think there\u2019s a lot of people who have the right, and they deserve an opportunity to be part of the industry,\u201d Lasi said. \u201cAnd they shouldn\u2019t be restricted because the license is so expensive that it\u2019s just not feasible.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The economic impact of the state\u2019s burgeoning cannabis industry doesn\u2019t just benefit the businesses themselves or their partners, but the state and local governments are also seeing a boost from tax revenue. Medical cannabis is one of the state\u2019s few revenue-raisers of the last 30 years <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/okpolicy.org\/state-question-640\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">due to the passage of SQ640<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which raised the threshold to pass revenue legislation. Whether the money will have a significant effect, though, is up for debate.<\/span><\/p><p><b>How are cannabis taxes collected, and where do they go?<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Revenue from patient and business licenses goes to the state\u2019s general revenue fund.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Local sales tax, which is determined by local governments, is distributed directly to that jurisdiction.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 4.5% state sales tax is divided as follows: 83.61% to the General Revenue Fund, 10.46% to the Education Reform Revolving Fund,\u00a0 and 5% to the Teachers\u2019 Retirement System Dedicated Revenue Revolving Fund. The remainder is divided into three funds: the Tourism Promotion Revolving Fund, the Oklahoma Tourism Capital Improvement Revolving Fund, and the Oklahoma Historical Society Capital Improvement and Operation Revolving Fund.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 7% state excise tax is divided into two groups \u2014 the first $65 million and the surplus. The first $65 million is divided as follows: 59.23% to the State Public Common School Building Equalization Fund (also known as the Redbud Fund), 34.62% to the OMMA and 6.15% to the Oklahoma State Department of Health\u2019s Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Fund. All surplus goes to the General Revenue Fund.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><p><iframe id=\"datawrapper-chart-OagmU\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" title=\"Medical Marijuana 2018 Tax Collections\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/OagmU\/1\/\" height=\"480\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" aria-label=\"Pie Chart\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">!function(){\"use strict\";window.addEventListener(\"message\",(function(e){if(void 0!==e.data[\"datawrapper-height\"]){var t=document.querySelectorAll(\"iframe\");for(var a in e.data[\"datawrapper-height\"])for(var r=0;r<t.length;r++){if(t[r].contentWindow===e.source)t[r].style.height=e.data[\"datawrapper-height\"][a]+\"px\"}}}))}();<\/script><\/p><p><iframe id=\"datawrapper-chart-j1oTV\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" title=\"Medical Marijuana 2019 Tax Collections\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/j1oTV\/1\/\" height=\"501\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" aria-label=\"Pie Chart\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">!function(){\"use strict\";window.addEventListener(\"message\",(function(e){if(void 0!==e.data[\"datawrapper-height\"]){var t=document.querySelectorAll(\"iframe\");for(var a in e.data[\"datawrapper-height\"])for(var r=0;r<t.length;r++){if(t[r].contentWindow===e.source)t[r].style.height=e.data[\"datawrapper-height\"][a]+\"px\"}}}))}();<\/script><\/p><p><iframe id=\"datawrapper-chart-Qtiiw\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" title=\"Medical Marijuana 2020 Tax Collections\u00a0\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/Qtiiw\/1\/\" height=\"501\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" aria-label=\"Pie Chart\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">!function(){\"use strict\";window.addEventListener(\"message\",(function(e){if(void 0!==e.data[\"datawrapper-height\"]){var t=document.querySelectorAll(\"iframe\");for(var a in e.data[\"datawrapper-height\"])for(var r=0;r<t.length;r++){if(t[r].contentWindow===e.source)t[r].style.height=e.data[\"datawrapper-height\"][a]+\"px\"}}}))}();<\/script><\/p><p><iframe id=\"datawrapper-chart-uej7S\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" title=\"Medical Marijuana 2021 Tax Collections\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/uej7S\/3\/\" height=\"482\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" aria-label=\"Pie Chart\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">!function(){\"use strict\";window.addEventListener(\"message\",(function(e){if(void 0!==e.data[\"datawrapper-height\"]){var t=document.querySelectorAll(\"iframe\");for(var a in e.data[\"datawrapper-height\"])for(var r=0;r<t.length;r++){if(t[r].contentWindow===e.source)t[r].style.height=e.data[\"datawrapper-height\"][a]+\"px\"}}}))}();<\/script><\/p><p><iframe id=\"datawrapper-chart-VLzk2\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" title=\"Medical Marijuana 2022 Tax Collections\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/VLzk2\/4\/\" height=\"471\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" aria-label=\"Pie Chart\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">!function(){\"use strict\";window.addEventListener(\"message\",(function(e){if(void 0!==e.data[\"datawrapper-height\"]){var t=document.querySelectorAll(\"iframe\");for(var a in e.data[\"datawrapper-height\"])for(var r=0;r<t.length;r++){if(t[r].contentWindow===e.source)t[r].style.height=e.data[\"datawrapper-height\"][a]+\"px\"}}}))}();<\/script><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Local and state officials are careful not to refer to cannabis revenue as a cure-all for the state\u2019s budget. Though Oklahoma\u2019s cannabis industry generated nearly $150 million in revenue last year \u2014 for context, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/okpolicy.org\/fy-2022-budget-highlights\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oklahoma\u2019s 2022 budget<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was $8.8 billion \u2014 lawmakers like Rep. Scott Fetgatter say cannabis revenue is \u201cnot saving the state.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI had a gentleman at an event I spoke at a few weeks ago, he said, \u2018marijuana is bringing in more money than oil and gas.\u2019 And it\u2019s just not even close, you know?\u201d Fetgatter said. \u201cI think it\u2019s important for people to understand that there is an impact, but at the state level, it\u2019s not [a] needle-moving impact. \u2026 While we\u2019re appreciative of those tens of millions, hundreds of millions of dollars, in the grand scheme of [a] nearly nine billion dollar budget, they get that looted pretty quickly.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fetgatter said the revenue has helped benefit school districts through the Redbud Fund \u2014 over $38 million was allocated to it last year \u2014 but it adds up to about one percent of the total common education budget.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the local level, officials also aren\u2019t seeing a radical change in budget numbers that can be attributable to cannabis tax collection. Anthony Francisco is the Finance Director for the City of Norman \u2014 which usually generates the third-highest monthly revenue numbers in the state according to the Oklahoma Tax Commission \u2014 and he said the revenue increase from cannabis sales, while notable, is just one relatively small revenue source.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cTo the extent that there has been an increase in general revenues, I would not attribute that solely to medical marijuana,\u201d Francisco said. \u201cThe dispensaries combined make up a very small source of our overall general revenue funds.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite the limited local impact, respondents to a statewide call for opinions on Oklahoma\u2019s cannabis industry are hopeful about what it can do for their communities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><b>\u2018It\u2019s changed our lives\u2019<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Below are three audio clips from listeners, voicing their views on how the medical cannabis industry is economically impacting their communities.<\/span><\/p><p>Todd:<\/p><p><!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');<\/script><![endif]--><br \/>\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-34761-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/Clip_1.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/Clip_1.mp3\">https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/Clip_1.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/p><p>Tori:<\/p><p><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-34761-2\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/Clip_2.mp3?_=2\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/Clip_2.mp3\">https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/Clip_2.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/p><p>Scott:<\/p><p><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-34761-3\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/Clip_3.mp3?_=3\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/Clip_3.mp3\">https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2022\/04\/Clip_3.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As for Lasi, he said he\u2019s grateful to have gotten so far in Oklahoma\u2019s cannabis industry, and he\u2019s looking forward to making his business bigger and better.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe came from a background where we didn\u2019t have a million dollar fund to play with, and we didn\u2019t know cannabis before we started here,\u201d Lasi said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s changed our lives, and it can change other peoples\u2019 lives too.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">StateImpact\u2019s Beth Wallis and KOSU\u2019s Kateleigh Mills produced this story as part of the America Amplified initiative using community engagement to inform and strengthen local, regional and national journalism. America Amplified is a public media initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.<\/span><\/i><\/p><p><em>Kateleigh Mills contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It started with a smoke shop.It\u2019s now a multi-level, vertically integrated company making a name for itself in the brave new frontier of Oklahoma\u2019s cannabis industry.Arshad Lasi is the 23-year-old CEO of The Nirvana Group, a cannabis company that employs about 150 people and features five dispensaries, two distribution facilities, three manufacturing facilities and a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":216,"featured_media":34771,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[492,301,16,1],"tags":[1392,1393,1386,751,833,834,158],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34761"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/216"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34761"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34761\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34786,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34761\/revisions\/34786"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34771"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}