Two Oklahoma lawyers have been accused of having their legal assistants lend their names to applicants for medicinal cannabis cultivation, helping their out-of-state clients with residency requirements. The Oklahoman reports. Officials refer to the practice as “ghost owners.”
Eric Brown and Logan Jones were each charged with multiple counts of conspiracy, forgery of records, and cultivation of a dangerous substance. Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) investigators said they interviewed four employees of the Jones-Brown law firm who admitted that their names were used to apply for medical cannabis cultivation licenses with the state.
Announcing the charges last week, Attorney General John O’Connor said there are more than 400 growth operations in the state that “list Jones-Brown law firm employees as owners.”
Ken Adair, who represents Brown, said the two were no longer partners and that “the conduct and knowledge of what happened is inconsistent with the mental state or criminal intent required to break the law.”
A legal assistant told investigators that he was paid $ 3,000 for each license he put his name on and that at least $ 1,000 was returned to the law firm. He said he “met with clients so often, that was the only kind of work he did,” according to court documents described by The Oklahoman.
OBN director Donnie Anderson said the two lawyers had represented foreign people growing cannabis and sending it out of state.
This year, the state has passed several laws to rule the state’s medical cannabis industry. including an invoice which raises penalties for transferring medical cannabis to non-patients. Earlier this month, Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) signed a measure to turn the State Medical Marijuana Authority into an autonomous agency that House Majority Leader Jon Echols (R), co-author of the bill , told The Oklahoman that it would help officials cope with the complexity. of the regulatory and compliance industry “and help” reduce the black market “which, he said,” threatens the well-being of Oklahoma residents and properly regulates legitimate business approved by voters. ”
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