OMMA partners with local law enforcement to shut down five marijuana businesses

PONCA CITY – A collaborative investigation between the state’s Medical Marijuana Authority and Kay County authorities resulted in the shutdown of five businesses and seizure of thousands of pounds of illicit marijuana.

OMMA partnered with several Kay County law enforcement agencies to investigate 11 recent complaints into Ponca City-area medical marijuana businesses and performed 19 routine compliance inspections at local licensed medical marijuana facilities in the area. 

As a result investigators seized or embargoed around 14,000 marijuana plants and 4,850 pounds of marijuana.

From Sept. 11-14, OMMA law enforcement officers saturated the area alongside investigators from the District 8 District Attorney Task Force, Kay County District Attorney, sheriff’s office, Ponca City Police, and Osage County District Attorney’s Office. 

OMMA filed two Emergency Orders of Summary Suspension and Embargo in administrative court on Sept. 11 that immediately shutdown two growers, pending further administrative proceedings: Polar Lights, LLC (GAAA-Z9Z1-WK47) and JN Green Grow, LLC (GAAA-24OS-AHZV). 

On Sept. 13, OMMA filed three more orders for shutdown, pending further administrative proceedings: DIHOW, LLC (GAAA-QQHK-3ATV), Zhangs Farm Inc (GAAA-J5UN-AN5A) and L&L Magic Grower LLC (GAAA-KNMQ-YBFK). 

According to the Emergency Orders:  

• On Sept. 11, investigators at Polar Lights, LLC found six large blue storage containers filled with 160 pounds of untraceable and untagged marijuana.

• On Sept. 11 at JN Green Grow, officials found thousands of untagged and untraceable marijuana plants and numerous totes, coolers, plastic bags and trash bags filled with suspected illicit marijuana. 

• There were 31 vacuum-sealed bags with untraceable marijuana discovered at DIHOW on September 13. 

• On Sept. 13, investigators at Zhangs Farm found more than 3,400 untagged marijuana plants and untraceable harvested marijuana. 

• On Sept. 13, officers at L&L Magic Grower found 14 trash bags with 214 pounds of untraceable marijuana. 

The Kay County Detention jail bookings show that the following subjects were among those booked into the county jail on charges of cultivation of a CDS. Chen Caizhong, 60, Wen Chen Hua, 53, Ni Liang, 54, Ni Xin Lin, 54, Yong Qiang Fan, 31, Ni Zan, 48, Chen Zu Zhang, 54, and Ni Zhouqun, 52. 

“This enforcement effort aligns with the strategic response to the supply and demand study we released in June, sending a strong message that illicit activity has nowhere to hide,” said OMMA Executive Director Adria Berry. “We are grateful to local authorities in Kay County for their help and partnership. This effort was only made possible due to the strong collaboration of all agencies involved and is a model for future enforcement action on a wide scale.”

“The Kay County Sheriff’s Office is very happy with the outcome,” said Kay County Undersheriff Sean Grigsba. “We were able to partner with OMMA and the 8th District Drug Task Force to see many inspections done here in our county. It is this type of partnership that allows success to grow.”

Berry emphasized the important role the public can play in eliminating illicit activity in their area, “We encourage the public to notify our call center or use the business complaint form on our website when they suspect illegal activity in their area. Our enforcement, compliance and legal teams stand ready to ensure the safety of our patients and their communities through swift action.”