Oklahoma's illicit marijuana market is now $100B, state says

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What’s happening, Oklahoma? It is March 31, and here’s what we've curated today:

We have a pair of stories from The Frontier. The first is from reporter Ashlynd Huffman who tells the story of Jake Thurman whose father was killed by a man more than 25 years ago. John Fitzgerald Hanson and an accomplice carjacked and kidnapped Mary Bowles from a Tulsa shopping mall in 1999 before shooting the 77-year-old woman to death at an isolated dirt pit near Owasso. Hanson’s accomplice then killed Jerald Max Thurman, who was at the scene and witnessed the crime. 

Although a Tulsa County jury sentenced Hanson to death, he had been in federal prison in Louisiana serving a separate life sentence for bank robbery. (Source: Oklahoma.gov)

The next is from reporter Garrett Yalch, who breaks down numbers from the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and the Texoma High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area that show just how big the illicit marijuana market is in Oklahoma. It’s huge.

Included in today’s headline rundown are a couple of links to other media stories about these figures, which were released on Friday.

Finally, you may have noticed that I’m featuring columnist Clay Horning in the Sports section. I’ve known Clay for more than 30 years, and he’s one of if not the best columnist in the region — both for his sports content and his political commentary. With every link shared in this newsletter, there is an opportunity for you to support that creator.

For journalism to thrive, it’s important that journalists be supported.

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Corrections ❌

Thankfully, Oklahoma Memo hasn’t had to do too much in terms of corrections. However, that changed on Friday when the summary for a story we shared was filled with inaccurate information. The story from OU Daily was spot-on.

The mistake in the summary about it was 100 percent mine.

About an upcoming event with political activist Riley Gaines, I wrote that the event happened with no issues. In fact, the event doesn’t happen until April 2.

AI does get used for some parts of this newsletter, including summarizing where appropriate. Most days, the total AI impact to this newsletter is max about 10-15%. Many days, including today, it’s zero.

However, the error in summarization, which I review by hand each night, made me realize that Oklahoma Memo needed a corrections policy — and it is thus:

Identify it, fix it and acknowledge it publicly — with no excuses.

Best way to reach me is via email at [email protected].

Today’s cover image is from Unsplash creator George Dagerotip.

Weather Update ☀️

Cooler to start the week, but sunny. Starting Wednesday, the weather pattern in Oklahoma will get super rainy for a few days.

🌡️ Monday's high in OKC 64°
🌡️ Monday’s high in Tulsa 62°

Allergy Report for March 31 🤧

Tree pollen will be very high today.
Grass pollen will be moderate.
Ragweed pollen won’t be an issue.

For more depth on Friday’s allergy news, click here.

He has waited for decades for the execution of a man involved in his dad’s murder

By Ashlynd Huffman, The Frontier
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Jake Thurman has been waiting for decades for one of the men involved in his father’s killing to be executed.

John Fitzgerald Hanson had been serving time in federal prisons in Louisiana for bank robbery. The federal government denied Hanson’s transfer to Oklahoma in 2022, even though his execution was scheduled.

Thurman said the delay was devastating, but it took an even bigger toll on his mother, who died from organ failure less than two months later.

Now Thurman feels like justice is finally coming, but he wishes it hadn’t taken so long.

Click to finish the story.

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Oklahoma’s marijuana underworld worth over $100 billion, new estimates show

By Garrett Yalch, The Frontier
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Donate to The Frontier.

Oklahoma’s illicit marijuana market may now be worth hundreds of billions of dollars, according to new statistics presented Friday by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and the Texoma High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. 

Between March 2024 and March 2025, state tracking systems failed to account for roughly 70 million pounds of marijuana — nearly 30 times the amount needed to supply Oklahoma’s roughly 300,000 licensed medical marijuana patients, said Donnie Anderson, the director of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics. From 2022 to 2023, that figure was 22 million pounds — meaning the amount of lost marijuana has roughly tripled over the past two years. 

The numbers show how, despite years of enforcement, Oklahoma’s illicit market has continued to thrive. A senior state official told The Frontier the increase likely stems from more growers complying with reporting requirements amid tighter enforcement, rather than a surge in production.

The new data comes from a report from the Texoma High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area commissioned by U.S. Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma. It ties the overproduction to illegal farms run by Chinese criminal groups and cites reporting by The Frontier and ProPublica.

At a press conference Friday unveiling the report, officials called for legislative action.

Click to finish the story.

The Oklahoma Rundown 📰

A concise summary of the latest news from across the state.

• Man shoots wife, engages in standoff with police in Guthrie (Guthrie News Page)

• 37-year-old woman dies in fiery crash Friday night near Ponca City (KFOR)

• Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper arrested, accused of sexual assault (KFOR)

• "BRIEF TORNADO": Okmulgee County saw downed lines, trees (2 News Oklahoma)

• FORESTER FIRED: Gov. Stitt elaborates on ouster as fire crew, community outrage grows (2 News Oklahoma)

• Oklahoma lawmakers push to remove fire-prone red cedar trees (News On 6)

• State cuts funding for critical emergency mental health care programs in Tulsa (Tulsa World)

• Life of David Boren memorialized by hundreds (KOCO)

• Tears of joy, pearls of wisdom: Prison Fellowship Academy celebrates fifth graduating class (Oklahoman)

• Couple hopes their tiny home company in Skiatook can solve a big problem for the Tulsa area (Tulsa World)

• Okmulgee Health Complex goes on lock down due to terrorist threats, Lighthorse involved in separate six-hour standoff in Jenks (Mvskoke Media)

• Price Tower in Bartlesville to be auctioned through Chapter 7 bankruptcy sale (Fox 23)

• Former Wagoner City Councilor arrested on child sex abuse charges (KTUL)

• A look at Oklahoma's 'alarming' marijuana landscape (KTEN)

• Narcotics officials: Oklahoma’s marijuana underworld worth over $100 billion (Oklahoman)

• Bryan County Sheriff Johnny Christian, 58, dies (KXII)

SPORTS 🏀⚾🥎🏈

Old issues conspire to end Sooners' fantastic season in Sweet 16

By Clay Horning, Oklahoma Columnist
Click to read the story.
Support Clay’s work.

The good news is Raegan Beers, Payton Verhulst, Sahara Williams and Zya Vann are coming back. Presumably, Reyna Scott and Beatrice Culliton, too

That and Aaliyah Chavez, the nation’s No. 1 prospect, who’s committed to play her college ball in Norman, should be arriving and the last time something like that happened, Courtney Paris entered the fold.

Fabulous.

The bad news?

It’s never good to be embarrassed and the Oklahoma women were embarrassed by Connecticut Saturday evening at the Sweet 16 in Spokane, Washington, and not for the first time this season, nor others, and not for new reasons either, which is a little maddening.

🏀 Click to finish the rest of his column.

More Sports Coverage 👀

• Could OU women's basketball have its own superstar like UConn's Paige Bueckers in 2025-26? (Oklahoman)

• Gilgeous-Alexander scores 33 as league-leading Thunder top Pacers 132-111 for 9th straight win (News On 6 / AP)

• Oklahoma State equestrian wins fifth straight Big 12 title (O’Colly)

• Sooners drop weekend series in both softball and baseball. Patty Gasso’s team dropped two of three at home to No. 10 Tennessee, and Skip Johnson’s club dropped two of three in Tuscaloosa to No. 12 Alabama.

• OSU baseball is swept at Kansas (OKState)

• Cowgirls run-rule Penn State to close out Georgia softball trip (OKState)

🗣️ Story Tips, Ideas, Feedback

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