2 minute read
There’s a new attorney general in office, and he’s bringing the smoke.
from Come Hungry
Gentner Drummond had spent less than two weeks in office when his office fired off an email — on a Sunday evening no less — announcing that he will be turning up the heat on the Swadley’s investigation.
“The Office of Attorney General is the appropriate entity to determine if the findings merit prosecution and, if they do, to prosecute any wrongdoers. One of my top priorities in this office is to end the culture of corruption and scandal. Oklahomans deserve true accountability in government,”
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Drummond wrote in a press release.
When the smoke cleared, Swadley’s had scooped up $16.7 million in state funds to renovate and open restaurants in an exclusive contract with the state tourism department.
That’s not the only investigation heating up. He dismissed a civil suit against ClassWallet, a Florida company previously accused of mishandling $31 million in state education funds. But that doesn’t mean bad actors are off the hook.
“After a thorough review of this lawsuit filed by the previous Attorney General is almost wholly without merit. It is clear that a number of state actors and other individuals are ultimately responsible for millions in mis- spent federal relief dollars,” Drummond wrote.
It may be a little too early for barbecue season, but we’re getting out the lawn chairs for this grilling.
Years in the making, State Question 820 will finally be put to a vote on March 7. It might just be the first time a cannabis initiative has stood alone on the ballot in this country.
To be sure, all bloodshot eyes will be on us that day. The stakes are high — and made higher — by the fact that the state legislature has already introduced bills, or at least shells of them, that could introduce qualifying conditions and THC limits of products sold in the current legal market.
But most importantly, this is Oklahoma’s chance to atone for its longstanding and draconian prohi- bition and enforcement policies which still result in thousands of people a year ending up behind bars for possessing a plant that is magi cally made legal by holding a piece of state-endorsed plastic. And that legalization effort is retroactive, meaning our overcrowded state prisons will see some much needed relief by way of releasing nonviolent offenders. And let’s face it, Oklahoma’s burgeoning restaurant scene — which recently received numerous James Beard Foundation semifinalist nominations — could certainly use the munchies money.
Sure, the cannabis industry here shake fronts morphed into dispensaries five years ago and many will be something else when the market boil reduces to a simmer. That’s going to happen regardless of legislation, but Oklahoma has done something unique here and there’s no reason why the industry — which brought more than $115 million in tax revenue in the preceding 18 months — should go up in flames prematurely.
