Must-try restaurants in OKC for 2026
Be sure to add these OKC restaurants to your dining list for 2026.
Medical marijuana patients no longer have to wait for their physical card to arrive in the mail before visiting a dispensary.
The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority has, at least temporarily, begun allowing patients to use their official OMMA approval email, or their record in the OMMA MedPortal, as a valid form of identification to make a purchase.
It can take two weeks for a new OMMA card to arrive in the mail after the agency approves a patient’s application. Because the patient has already been authorized by OMMA as a licensed patient at that point, waiting for the physical license to arrive delays a person being able to visit a dispensary and purchase cannabis products.
In a post, the agency said it implemented the new policy “to ensure timely access to medical marijuana.”
Although patients can use a copy of their OMMA email or records from the MedPortal, they must also provide a valid government-issued photo ID. The dispensary then must check those records against the OMMA Verify tool before completing a sale.
OMMA Director of Communications Porsha Riley told The Oklahoman that the policy change is being considered a temporary measure while agency staff evaluates the effects.
The agency was inundated with frustrated complaints from businesses and patients since launching the new OMMA MedPortal for licensing services in October. The portal has faced technical issues, resulting in delays, missed licensing deadlines and long wait times on hold to resolve individual issues.
In the marijuana industry, missing a licensing deadline can lead to a business being forced to shut down and heightens the risk of running afoul of the law.
Riley said that since the licensing portal launched, OMMA has processed over 22,000 patient license applications, implemented fixes for many reported issues, including authentication, and developed processes to better assist licensees.
That new process includes having members of OMMA’s commercial licensing team work directly with the call center to resolve issues in real-time.
“This enhanced support model is designed to decrease call volume and allow call center specialists to prioritize patient inquiries, improving overall response times. No licensee will be penalized for delays caused by technical issues outside of their control,” the agency said in a post.
