Thread by @CathJSweeney

I'll be tweeting about the press conference New Health Solutions is holding to push for a special legislative session to implement #SQ788.

Bud Scott is speaking first. He's the executive director of New Health Solutions Oklahoma, the trade group for Oklahoma's budding marijuana industry.

Bud Scott: #SQ788's language was meant to be a skeleton. We need a special legislative session to build the muscles.

Scott: The health department has been doing a great job, but they're building a regulatory framework for a massive industry on its own over just a few months. "It's not the way you do proper public policy."

Scott: There are so many examples of shortcomings in the rules. For example, we have testing requirements, but not enough of a framework to license labs. We need to expand. "If we don't, we're going to be stuck with two potential laboratories to be able to provide that testing."

Scott: The health department does not have the infrastructure in place for a seed-to-sell tracking system, which is integral in preventing black market proliferation.

Scott: "Isn't it time that our policymakers do the right thing here?" Behind me are members of New Health Solutions. They're excited about this potential billion-dollar industry.

Scott: "We are setting up the state department of health for program failure."

A reporter asks whether the group is considering the political reality of November's election. Another special could hurt reelection campaigns. Scott: "That's not really the message we're trying to send. The message we're trying to send is let's see some leadership."

Scott said that someone has to handle this, and without special session, the state is dumping all the responsibility on the health department. "We're asking them to do it in two months with no political support or cover. That's unacceptable."

Scott: We have to handle the legal issues within #SQ788 with statute. We can't leave all of this in the air. It opens several opportunities for problems and delays. "If we don't address this now, there will be litigation."

"Fallin's office has not been in communication with us." He said that's not due to a lack of trying on the trade group's part. They've reached out and been denied, he said. "They knew this was coming, but no one is communicating."

Scott: "This is all about politics." This is a statutory SQ. "It can come back and be completely throttled in 2019." And I think that will happen. That's post election, and our residents have a short memory. We just had a massive walkout, but no one is talking about ed.

Scott, after some talk about the public comment period re: the health department's rules process: "The real call to action here should be with the Legislature." Even with those rules (which go to the board July 10) we have tons of issues that remain unaddressed.

Scott: We're working with the medical community, chambers of commerce, cities and counties, etc. "We're working with every other stakeholder." We all need to be working on implementing this. It needs to be based on legal thought and reality.

Scott: "We have support from members of House leadership. We have support from members of the Senate as well." If we get in and get this done, cannabis is no longer an issue in runoff elections (Aug. 28) or general elections (Nov. 6)."

Scott: "I encourage anyone to speak with other attorneys on this." Any administrative lawyers would tell you this current law doesn't grant significant authority to handle implementation.

Scott reiterates that the lawmakers can make any changes to the law because it's statutory and not a constitutional change. "We're very likely to see this program get torn apart."

Conference is over.