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Public Notices
OBNDD NEW OFFICE BUILDING OPEN HOUSE NOTICE
The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs will be holding an open house on May 6, 2008 to celebrate the grand opening of our new headquarters at 440 N.E. 39th Street. The members of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Commission will be present at this celebration and will likely constitute a quorum. However, the OBN Commission will not be conducting business, discussing or voting on any official business issues at this event. This notice is intended to ensure that the Agency is in compliance with the Open Meetings Act 25 O.S. § 311. If you have any questions concerning this notification, please contact the Legal Department of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.
Public Notice Of OBNDD Commission Meetings
All meetings are open to the public. Unless otherwise posted, meetings begin at 10:00 a.m. and are held quarterly at the OBNDD Headquarters, 440 N.E. 39th Street, Oklahoma City.
OBNDD Commission Meetings For Calendar Year 2008
January 15th
April 15th (Special Meeting Time 1:30 p.m.)
July 15th
October 21st
For more information, contact Tiki Jo Ferguson at (405) 521-2885.
DON'T SMOKE RED DOPE
The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics is sending out an annual reminder not to smoke red dope. OBN Agents are once again eradicating wild-growing marijuana crops that pose a nuisance around the state.
Throughout the month of June, OBN has been targeting fields in which anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand wild-growing marijuana plants have taken hold. Agents have been using backpack spray rigs to eradicate the pot with Glyphosate ("Round-Up") weed killer.
"It is not uncommon to find fields with 500,000 to 1 million wild marijuana plants eating up valuable farm land. In the past, we would cut the plants by hand. This was time-consuming and in many cases the plants would simply grow back the following summer. Spraying is a much faster technique that, in many cases, permanently kills off the marijuana. The herbicide has been tested, found to be environmentally safe and has a very low toxicity to wildlife. It is the exact same product most of us buy at the store to kill weeds in our own back yards."
----Mark Woodward, OBN Spokesman.
In order to warn the public of the treated plants, a red dye has been added to the Round-Up which will turn the plants red during application. It is OBN¿s hope the dye will deter anyone from cultivating, selling and/or smoking these plants. In the past, OBN agents have encountered people trying to cultivate wild-growing pot fields. Additionally, people have taken the poor quality wild plants and mixed them in with stronger, cultivated marijuana to increase the yield and street value.
The spraying has already taken place at targets located in Blaine, Custer, Ellis, Grant and Woodward counties, eradicating an estimated 9.5 million plants. More spraying is planned throughout the summer and fall if funding is available. Mark Woodward with OBN says his agency is willing to provide the Round-Up weed killer free of charge to any farmers around the state who are interested in eradicating the wild marijuana, themselves. Those interested should contact OBN at (800) 522-8031.
STATE DRUG AGENCY SEEKS COOPERATION FROM OKLAHOMA VETERINARIANS TO COMBAT ILLICIT METHAMPHETAMINE PRODUCTION
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control is asking for help from Oklahoma Veterinarians to combat the increases in methamphetamine production.
Mark Woodward, Public Information and Education Officer for the Bureau of Narcotics, says there is a relatively new methamphetamine recipe on the streets today which requires significant amounts of iodine crystals. He says many of these meth "cooks" are going to feed and seed stores, as well as local veterinarians to obtain the iodine crystals. Woodward says the Bureau of Narcotics realizes there are many legitimate uses for iodine crystals, therefore it may be difficult to determine which customers are obtaining the product for illegal purposes. OBNDDC simply asks Veterinarians to be aware of this practice. Woodward says many Veterinarians have inquired about people purchasing iodine crystals, often in large quantities or more frequently than normally required, yet the customers do not seem to have much knowledge about horses or basis veterinary uses for the product. This may be a clear sign that the customer is involved in methamphetamine production.
The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics is asking Veterinarians to cooperate by contacting the agency if they suspect a customer is purchasing iodine crystals for purposes other than legitimate veterinary practices. Any information Veterinarians can provide about the customer (name, address, phone number, drivers license, etc.) would be helpful. Veterinarians are encouraged to call OBNDD toll-free at 1-800-522-8031.
WARNING TO FARMERS, BUSINESS OWNERS:
THEFTS OF ANHYDROUS AMMONIA INCREASING!
There's a growing demand for Anhydrous Ammonia in Oklahoma, and it has nothing to do with the traditional use of the gas in refrigeration and fertilizer. The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control is warning that criminals are stealing the gas to make methamphetamine, opening yet another front for law enforcement in Oklahoma's war on production of the illegal drug.
Thieves have been striking farms, fertilizer plants and refrigeration companies at night. In a matter of minutes, they pop valves off tanks of anhydrous ammonia and transfer the gas to a smaller receptacle. Typically, propane tanks are improperly used to transport the ammonia (one sign to watch for is the brass fittings on the propane tanks which will turn green shortly after contact with the ammonia). Because a large number of farmers around Oklahoma have anhydrous ammonia fertilizer, many thieves travel from cities to rural areas in search of the gas.
Not just farmers are falling victim to anhydrous ammonia thefts. There have been cases where thieves are tapping supplies of the gas at farming co-ops. In Missouri, police reported that someone simply drove off with a 1,000-gallon tank. The tank was later found abandoned near a vacant farmstead. Thieves are moving into many of these rural areas partly by availability of the ammonia and partly by increased vigilance in larger cities where business owners have become alert to the problem. Many cooks used to buy the ammonia, but that meant putting down a deposit of $100 to $200 dollars for the tank and then paying for the gas they used when they returned the tank. Plus, as the paranoia stage of meth use sets in, cooks who also are users worry that the gas sellers have their names.
Anhydrous Ammonia is a key ingredient in the so-call "Nazi Method" of methamphetamine production. Meth is a cheap, addictive stimulant that produces a powerful high along with such side effects as paranoia and violent behavior. Oklahoma is one of the nation's largest producers of domestic methamphetamine. Meth labs in Oklahoma have increased from just 10 in 1994 to over 1200 in 2002. A growing percentage of these cooks are using the "Nazi Method". This is a problem not isolated to Oklahoma. Labs and anhydrous ammonia thefts are on the rise throughout the mid west. For more information, contact the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics at (405) 521-2885 or (800) 522-8031.
OBNDD "AT IT AGAIN" SPRAYING MARIJUANA IN OKLAHOMA
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control announces Operation: "At It Again," the 1999 marijuana eradication program in which many cultivated and wild marijuana crops are being destroyed via herbicide spraying techniques.
State, Federal and local law officers, along with National Guard personnel have been sweeping across the state eradicating wild and cultivated marijuana fields, as well as making arrests and seizures against those tending these illicit crops. Many of the fields are being destroyed using the common weed killer, Glyphosate ("Round-Up"). The herbicide is being applied by backpack spray rigs, as well as aerial spraying from a helicopter. The weed killer, which is proven to be safe and effective, contains a red dye designed to deter anyone from trying to further cultivate, sell or smoke this red marijuana.
Spraying has already taken place at targets located in the following counties: Grant, Osage, Payne, Woods, Woodward, Okfuskee, Muskogee, Tulsa, Lincoln, Seminole, McIntosh, Wagoner, and Creek.
More spraying will take place throughout the summer and fall. If you have any questions or believe you have been adversely affected by the spraying, contact the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics at (405) 521-2885 or (800) 522-8031.
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