Just weeks after a majority of Oklahoma voters approved State Question 788, a bizarre bit of news broke. Julie Ezell, a lawyer for Oklahoma State Department of Health, had been charged with sending herself threats. On July 17, 2018, Ezell was charged in Oklahoma County District Court with counts of using a computer to violate […]
Oklahoma State Department of Health
Posted inNews
Cannabis briefs
Descheduling cannabis On a broader scale, federal legalization or full decriminalization has not come to fruition as many expected during this first term. No mention has been made by President Donald Trump of descheduling cannabis, which remains on the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Schedule 1 substance list. In a clip posted online last month by reporter […]
Posted inNews
New normal
It’s hard to believe the massive shift in daily life that Oklahoma City residents have experienced since March. For most of us, the turning point was March 11, when Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19 just before a home Thunder game. I had just sent my Rose State students off on spring […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Local restaurant groups take different approaches to reopening
Cautious 84 Hospitality Group Empire Slice House, Revolución, Burger Punk, Gorō Ramen, Gun Izakaya, Little Market Taking one of the most cautious approaches among operators in Oklahoma City, 84 Hospitality has yet to reopen on-site dining to patrons at any of its locations; it closed all in mid-March. Founder and CEO Rachel Cope recently revealed […]
Posted inNews
PRESS RELEASE Oklahoma City Council passes resolution supporting mass-scale COVID-19 testing, PPE distribution and federal help with municipal revenue shortfall
The Oklahoma City Council voted Tuesday to pass a resolution of official support for mass-scale COVID-19 testing, distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) and federal help for municipalities facing a sharp decline in revenue. At least 37 deaths in Oklahoma City have been attributed to the coronavirus as of May 12, according to the Oklahoma […]
Posted inNews
PRESS RELEASE New proclamation issued in Oklahoma City’s COVID-19 response; addresses distancing, sanitizing requirements for new phase beginning May 1
Mayor David Holt signed a new emergency proclamation for Oklahoma City’s COVID-19 response that includes required conditions on high-risk activities that are intended to limit the spread of the coronavirus. This proclamation follows Mayor Holt’s announcement last Friday that he will largely align this new phase of Oklahoma City’s COVID-19 response with the State of […]
Posted inArts & Culture
PRESS RELEASE Oklahoma State Department of Health tips for washing hands
Wash, wash, wash, your hands! Did you know the Journal Environmental Health reported that only 5% of people wash their hands correctly? If you’re feeling a little grossed out by that, we’d like to help by offering some pro tips to get those hands clean, and keep germs away. Use soap. Seems pretty basic, but […]
Posted inNews
Another proposal
Two new ballot initiative petitions regarding cannabis were filed this week without public fanfare. State Question 811 is a constitutional amendment regarding the adult use of cannabis. The proposed ballot title reads, “This measure adds a new Article to the Constitution of the State of Oklahoma. This article will heal State Question 788 which the […]
Posted inNews
Chicken-Fried News: Less money, less problems?
In 1990, Oklahoma ranked 32nd nationally in overall health, according to a report by America’s Health Rankings. Today, it is nearly at the bottom, coming in at 47th. In fact, obesity has increased 17 percent in the last six years alone. So what’s a reasonable way to help improve Oklahomans’ health? Oklahoma State Department of […]
Posted inNews
Seeking clarity
Oklahoma Gazette submitted a list of questions regarding the current state of Oklahoma’s medical cannabis program to the Oklahoma State Department of Health based on the most common reader questions. Here are the responses, compiled by a number of Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority employees. Oklahoma Gazette: Can dispensaries still sell to patients when the OMMA […]