Oklahoma’s Attorney General launches new war on drugs

LAUREN KING

CNHI NEWS OKLAHOMA

STILLWATER – Oklahoma’s Attorney General Gentner Drummond returned to his alma mater, Oklahoma State University, on Thursday in the Student Union Little Theater to discuss the underbelly of the medical marijuana industry in the state. The event was hosted by the Center for Legal Studies and Business Ethics, with students from the Spears School of Business in attendance.

An attorney general is the chief legal officer of the state, in which the individual in position provides legal advice and representation in court for the state government. Most importantly, the attorney general represents the interest of the Oklahoma people.

“The takeaway that I want for the students in the audience to grasp – I’m going to talk ethics, clearly, making the right choice, making the hard decisions – but what I want you to take away is, with a degree from Oklahoma State, you really don’t have a limit … if you work diligently and apply yourself on a daily basis, you can do anything,” Drummond said.

In 1985, Drummond received a bachelor’s degree in agriculture with a focus in economics from OSU. After graduation, Drummond spent 1985-1993 in the United States air force as a jet pilot. Eventually, Drummond left the air force and attended law school at Georgetown University,

See AG on A3

Attorney General Gentner Drummond spoke to OSU students at a Spears School of Business lecture Thursday.

Provided Photo | CNHI News

earning his Juris Doctor degree in 1995.

Drummond shared that in the time span from graduating at OSU to becoming attorney general, he used his degree to buy a bank in Pawhuska, which grew into a statewide business with 17 banks in Oklahoma and three in Texas.

Drummond became Oklahoma’s 19th attorney general in last year’s election for the position. He entered the office with 30 years of legal experience, as well as contributions beyond the courtroom – including his background roles as a rancher, banker and businessman.

Since taking office, Drummond has established the Organized Crime Task Force, which attempts to dismantle illegal marijuana incorporation, and he has fought human trafficking and distribution of deadly opioids, specifically fentanyl.

“When I was running for office, it was disturbing to me that we had opened up the doors of Oklahoma to organized crime,” Drummond said. “When we passed the medical marijuana law in 2018, we drew from industry exports who were law-abiding business men and women in the medical marijuana area … and we applied those rules that they thought were best practices.”

However, Drummond said criminals took advantage of the legalization of medical marijuana.

“We produce, in one year, 33.1 million marijuana plants, (specif ically) in 2022,” Drummond said. “We paid taxes – we see taxes – on 1 million marijuana plants. (33.1 million) grown, 1 million paid. There is a difference between (33) million and 1 million, and that (32) million found its way to the black market and across the United States.”

Drummond said individuals involved in organized crime took advantage of the system through three different steps: (1) they figured out how to grow cheaply in Oklahoma, (2) they established a distribution network throughout the U.S., and (3) with all the distribution, they became involved in human trafficking, sex trafficking and opioid distribution.

“The marijuana consumed in New York City is 40% grown in Oklahoma … we are a top 10 state in the distribution of black market marijuana,” Drummond said.

When Drummond entered office, he was able to gain control of these outrageous statistics with help from the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics. At first, Oklahoma housed 12,000 grow facilities; now, Oklahoma only has 2,750 grow facilities.

“… Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority has shut down 15 illegal drugs a day,” Drummond said.

Drummond also discussed the role of opioids in the black market, not only marijuana. He compared the highly addictive and very dangerous opioid, fentanyl, to a pack of Sweet and Low.

One packet of Sweet and Low is 0.8 grams and, if that were fentanyl, it would cost 10 cents to manufacture in Oklahoma. This would be enough fentanyl to produce 500 pills at $20 a pill, which is a $10,000 profit from a 10 cent product.

Drummond is not only dedicated to the Organized Crime Task Force, but he also attempted to reconnect bonds with Native American tribes in Oklahoma. Therefore, Drummond met with every tribe’s leaders in order to find a path forward toward collaboration.

“The economic value of the 39 tribes propelled Oklahoma into the top quartile of states in the United States, but if you took the tribes out, we would drop down to the economic (value) of Honduras and Guatemala,” Drummond said.

Drummond also tackled lack of transparency in the state government, as well as accountability for public corruption. Drummond repeated himself for emphasis multiple times, saying, “We have to do the right thing.”

“In this world where there are opportunities to do the wrong thing … you must be one who decides to do the right thing because of the cost,” Drummond said. “If you do that, you will live a life ethically, honorably, morally, correctly and you will contribute to our society.”

Drummond said before he was elected into office, he watched as Oklahoma became corrupt in organized crime, a breakdown of working relationships with Native Americans, lacked transparency and became culturally corrupt. He emphasized political figures must work toward doing the right, moral thing – above all else.

“ … I watched things happen that upset me and instead of … saying I could have, I might have, I could do that, I decided I would do that,” Drummond said. “ … If you want to do something, then try. The likelihood of failure is high; the number of times I have failed are infinite … but I am one who tried.”