A Clean Slate: Oklahoma Expungement Law

By Author: dave smythe
Total Articles: 5
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Oklahoma has long been seen as one of the nation's leaders in the production, distribution, and abuse of methamphetamine. While some reports show the manufacture of meth in Oklahoma is greater than in other states, the number of meth labs has actually decreased 90% since 2004, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The Pseudoephedrine Control Law passed in 2004 is largely responsible for this decline. Oklahoma was the first state to pass a law restricting the sale of pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in the illegal manufacturing of methamphetamine. Yet while the number of meth labs overall has decreased since 2004, there has been a marked increase in the past three years. According to figures from the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (OBNDD), the number of meth labs discovered in Oklahoma jumped dramatically from 148 in 2006 to 743 in 2009. This increase is attributed to new methods of illegal drug manufacturing, including one pot and shake and bake methods that require less equipment. In fact, some of these labs require little more than a 20-ounce soda bottle to manufacture methamphetamine.
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... The illegal manufacture of drugs is not the only problem Oklahoma faces as a hotspot for meth activity. With Oklahoma City being located near the geographic center of the contiguous United States and with easy access to Interstates 40, 44, and 35, Oklahoma has become a transshipment point for drug trafficking throughout the United States. Crystal methamphetamine from Mexico is the most frequently used illicit drug in Oklahoma. As recently as June 29, 2010, Oklahoma drug agents arrested a Mexican national suspected of being a high-ranking member of an infamous drug cartel, the Sinaloa Cartel. As part of a sting operation, agents with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics discovered an established drug ring being led by the Sinaloa Cartel. They describe the operation as lucrative, saying ten pounds of methamphetamine were shipped to Oklahoma City each week. The street value of ten pounds of meth ranges from $180,000 to $210,000. The OBNDD asserts that the arrest of the member of the Sinaloa Cartel is evidence that, not one, but two Mexican drug cartels have firmly established footholds for the manufacture and distribution of drugs in Oklahoma.
With the prevalence of methamphetamine in Oklahoma, the state has become a leader in establishing laws to prevent its manufacture and distribution. Penalties for manufacture, distribution, sale, and possession of the drug are severe, as Oklahoma officials look to eliminate the state's image as a leader in meth production and addiction. Some studies indicate that meth use in Oklahoma is 42% higher than the national average. With such widespread availability of crystal meth, many Oklahomans find themselves caught up in situations they never would have expected. Oklahoma drug defense attorneys see people from all walks of life fighting charges of drug possession in the wake of this meth explosion.

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