Employee Credentialing
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Overview
Senate Bill 1704 (2022), a state law passed by the Oklahoma Legislature and signed by the Governor, requires employees of licensed medical marijuana businesses to apply for and receive a credential. Licensed businesses are also responsible for ensuring their employees have a valid credential. Credentials will be valid until Jan. 31 of the following year.
Employee is defined in OMMA Rules at OAC 442:10-5-1.1(13). The credential authorizes the employee to work at a licensed medical marijuana business. See OAC 442:10-5-1.1(13) in OMMA Rules and 63 O.S. § 427.14b (OSCN 2023) in state statutes. If you have questions about the rules, OMMA encourages you to seek legal counsel.
Credential Application Requirements
When you log in to the Thentia licensing portal to apply for a medical marijuana business employee credential, you will be asked to provide:
- Proof of identity including government-issued photo ID
- State background check: An Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) name-based background check establishing that the applicant does not have a disqualifying criminal conviction. Must be dated within 30 days of application submission.
- National background check: Attestation Regarding National Background Check
- A current photo no less than 6 months old.
- A $30 application fee, plus any associated processing fees.
If your application is incomplete or contains errors, you will receive a rejection notice and have 30 days to correct it. Be aware that if your resubmission remains incomplete or has errors, it will be denied under Oklahoma law, so please double-check your application before submitting. Applicants can continue working while their renewal application is pending. However, if the application is denied, they must stop working until a new application is submitted and approved.
OMMA will mail the credential after approval of an application. The credential number and details will also be shown on your profile in the Thentia licensing portal.
Common Credentialing Questions
For Employees
Q: What can I do within the licensing portal related to my credential?
A: Other than applying for a new or renewed credential, you may see the status of a credential application, review the term history, request a replacement credential and request name and/or address changes.
Q: Does the driver's license or ID for a credential application need to be from Oklahoma?
A: No. Applicants may submit government-issued photo IDs.
Q: How many previous addresses must be provided on a credential application?
A: None. This is optional.
Q: Can I use the same portal login for an employee credential application that I use for my patient license application?
A: Yes, but after logging in you must create a profile in the credential portal for a credential application. Even with the same login, patient profiles are separate from employee credential profiles.
For Businesses
Q: How do I verify that a credential is valid?
A: Use OMMA Verify at ommaverify.ok.gov to check a credential's validity.
Q: What are the responsibilities for a business to keep track of employee credentials?
A: Licensed medical marijuana businesses are required to ensure their employees have a valid credential or pending credential application. Businesses must also associate all employee credentials with their commercial license through the licensing portal’s Employee Roster function to keep an updated roster of credentialed employees.
Q: What can I do within the licensing portal related to my employees' credentials?
A: You can see status changes to the employee’s credential. You can also use the Employee Roster function to add or remove credentialed employees from your roster.
Q: Can an employer apply for a credential, report issues or get help on behalf of an employee?
A: Employees must apply for, or get help with, a credential on their own. It's the employee's responsibility to apply for the credential. The employer may request to see the confirmation email sent to the employee once the employee has applied.
Q: How can an employer verify that an employee has submitted an application for a credential?
A: Employees will receive a confirmation email once they submit their application. The employer may request to see the confirmation email.
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