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Pot Sales Unlikely In Oklahoma Despite Federal Announcement About Tribes

Oklahoma will now exclude cannabidiol, a non-intoxicating chemical found in marijuana, from its definition of the drug.
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The U.S. Justice Department said Thursday Native American tribes can grow and sell marijuana on tribal lands, as long as they follow the same federal conditions laid out for states that have legalized the drug.

But pot sales likely won't be coming to Oklahoma anytime soon.

U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma Sanford Coats serves on the attorney general's advisory subcommittee on Native issues.

He told The Oklahoman’s Randy Ellis he thinks that decision not to enforce the federal drug laws would only be limited to states that have voted to liberalize marijuana statutes.

“Basically, what I think the Department of Justice has recognized is that in states where there is legal marijuana in some form, tribes may want to get into that business,” he said. “This gives some guidance on what the reaction of federal law enforcement ought to be.” Coats said he doesn’t foresee Oklahoma Indian tribes rushing into pot sales. “I think that’s extremely unlikely in Oklahoma,” Coats said.

Spokesmen for the Cherokee and Choctaw Nations said they weren't familiar with the issue, and didn't think it was on anyone's radar.

“Practically, I can’t see how that would even be possible in Oklahoma because we don’t have any legalized sale of marijuana here, medical or otherwise. “Part of the policy...contemplates a well-regulated state system for marijuana cultivation and sale and, for obvious reasons, we don’t have that here in Oklahoma,” Coats said. “Not only do we have no indication that any of our tribes in the western district are interested, practically, I’m not sure that’s even a realistic possibility.”

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Brian Hardzinski is from Flower Mound, Texas and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. He began his career at KGOU as a student intern, joining KGOU full time in 2009 as Operations and Public Service Announcement Director. He began regularly hosting Morning Edition in 2014, and became the station's first Digital News Editor in 2015-16. Brian’s work at KGOU has been honored by Public Radio News Directors Incorporated (PRNDI), the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters, the Oklahoma Associated Press Broadcasters, and local and regional chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists. Brian enjoys competing in triathlons, distance running, playing tennis, and entertaining his rambunctious Boston Terrier, Bucky.
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