Drummond applauds Senate passage of bill closing drug trafficking loophole

OKLAHOMA CITY (Feb. 26, 2026) – Attorney General Gentner Drummond praised the Oklahoma Senate for passing Senate Bill 1257 with a 43-3 vote. The legislation classifies THC as a Schedule I controlled dangerous substance, aligning state law with federal law and mirroring the existing classification of marijuana, the plant from which THC is derived.

"For too long, drug traffickers have exploited a gap in our state law to downgrade serious felony crimes into misdemeanors simply by processing marijuana into THC products. I'm grateful to the Senate for recognizing the importance of closing that loophole,” Drummond said. “THC is marijuana, and it should be treated the same under the law. This bill ensures that criminals who traffic THC products face the same consequences as those who traffic the plant itself, and it aligns Oklahoma law with federal law so our law enforcement officers can do their jobs effectively."

SB 1257, authored by Sen. Warren Hamilton, specifically addresses a tactic used by criminals who separate THC from the marijuana plant to claim their conduct constitutes only a misdemeanor offense rather than a felony trafficking crime.

The legislation will not affect patients or businesses licensed by the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority. It also preserves the Schedule III status of dronabinol, a THC-derived medication used to treat nausea in cancer patients.

SB 1257 now heads to the House.