Oklahoma has a new record. The state now has the highest number of marijuana patients per capita of any state with medical patient licenses. There are more than 350,000 patients or, about 9 percent of the state’s population.

Marijuana sales, production and processing is big business around Grand Lake. There is a total of at least 173 marijuana licensed businesses stretching from Disney to Wyandotte.

The most obvious businesses are medical marijuana dispensaries. There is a total of 2,087 medical marijuana dispensaries licensed by the state. Of those, 29 are in the Grand Lake area. There are 13 dispensaries located in the Grove zip code, four in the Langley zip code, three each in Afton and Fairland’s zip codes, two each in Colcord and Disney’s zip codes, and one each in Wyandotte and Eucha’s zip codes. Eight of those dispensaries are within the Grove city limits.

The state’s licensed growers are now is nearing 6,000. A medical marijuana grower license allows a business to legally grow marijuana for medical purposes in Oklahoma. Licensed growers can sell only to licensed processors and licensed dispensaries.

In the Grand Lake area from Langley to Wyandotte, there are 128 licensed marijuana growers of which 103 are in Delaware County, 24 in Ottawa County and 1 in Craig County.

Those growers include a 100-acre site. The Jay zip code has 32 growers, the Colcord zip code has 26, the Grove zip code has 22, the Afton zip code has 21, the Eucha zip code has 13, the Fairland zip code has 12, the Wyandotte zip code has nine, the Rose zip code in Delaware County has five, the Spavinaw zip code has one in Delaware County and the Salina zip code has one in Delaware County. There is one grower inside the Grove City limits on Industrial Road.

The number of businesses that process marijuana once it is harvested number 1,329 in Oklahoma. There are 14 processors in the Grand Lake area. Cannabis processors are responsible for taking the raw cannabis plant and creating entirely new products from it including concentrates, topicals and edibles. In addition to creating these products, processors must package them in compliance with state regulations. There are four licensed processors in the Afton and Grove zip codes, three in Jay’s zip code, two in Fairland’s zip code and one in Wyandotte’s zip code.

While growers, processors, and dispensaries will continue to be issued a transporter license with their business license, businesses may also apply for a stand-alone commercial transporter license for the purpose of transporting on behalf of other licensed businesses. The application fee is $2,500 and there are 49 in the state. Delaware County has one licensed transporter while Ottawa County does not have any at this time.

There are 24 licensed laboratories in Oklahoma. Licensed growers and processors in the state of Oklahoma are required as of July 1 to test all medical marijuana and medical marijuana products in a laboratory licensed by the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority. One licensed lab is located in Delaware County in the Grove city limits. Most of the certified labs are in Oklahoma City and the Tulsa areas. The transporter license and the testing lab licenses are held by the same individual.

There are currently nine state-licensed disposal sites. None are located in the Grand Lake area. They are located in the Oklahoma City region at this time. A medical marijuana waste disposal facility license authorizes the licensee to dispose of medical marijuana. The waste disposal facility licenses also authorizes licensees to transport medical marijuana waste.