State Rep. calling out OMMA after recent firings

From the reports that Humphrey showed us, money isn't the issue. So, he is looking into the motive behind firing all those employees.

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — State Rep. J.J. Humphrey (R-Lane) is calling out the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) after multiple people were terminated a few weeks ago.

OMMA says it was to maximize taxpayer dollars, but Humphrey says that is a lie.

From the reports that Humphrey showed News 4, money isn't the issue. So, he is looking into the motive behind the firing of all those employees.

"They told me that this was the case, that they terminated about 30 people, that it was because of fee reduction," Humphrey said. "We fund them out of our budget."

OMMA states that commercial licensing numbers are down, and they are not making as much money as years prior, but revenue reports tell a different story.

"I pulled a report, it seems totally false," Humphrey said.

OMMA also suggested that a limited budget played a part.

"We gave them $4, $5 or $6 million more," Humphrey said.

Humphrey showed News 4 an email confirming the amount, showing OMMA's appropriation increased by nearly $5 million from FY24 to FY25.

"It looks like they've already replaced one of these employees and gave the person that they replaced him with a raise," Humphrey said. "I'm trying to get that verified. If that's the truth, that's problematic."

News 4 spoke with one of the former OMMA employees who was terminated several weeks ago, and she had plenty to say.

"It really is so much revenue," Joanna Woolridge, former employee with OMMA said. "You have to ask how it got so mismanaged that we have to cut workforce because there's a lot of money flowing in and there's a lot of questions in my mind about that."

"It seems like they have really bad sources on how they're carrying out their budget and how they're spending their money," Humphrey said.

In a previous statement, OMMA Director Adria Berry said this:

“With commercial license numbers decreasing, it was imperative we find efficiencies in our operations to ensure we are nimble and ready for future endeavors.” 

Humphrey says he has set up a meeting with the state auditor and will have a few former OMMA employees who were terminated with him, hoping to figure out what exactly is going on.