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Jason Yingling to lead Oklahoma’s marijuana regulator on an interim basis
Adria Berry is leaving her post as executive director of the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority to pursue new opportunities, Gov. Kevin Stitt announced Wednesday. She will remain the state’s secretary of licensing and regulation, while deputy compliance chief Jason Yingling takes over the agency on an interim basis.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Adria Berry is stepping down as executive director of the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, and Jason Yingling will serve as the agency’s interim director, Gov. Kevin Stitt announced Wednesday.
Berry, who became OMMA director in 2021, will remain Oklahoma’s secretary of licensing and regulation for the rest of Stitt’s term. The governor’s office did not announce when her departure from the agency leadership role takes effect or identify her next position.
Stitt praised Berry’s work overseeing the state’s medical marijuana regulator, saying she built a team to manage a complex industry. Berry credited the governor’s support with helping the agency develop its regulatory structure and said its work had helped target bad actors and improve public safety.
Yingling, OMMA’s deputy chief of compliance and enforcement, has worked with the agency since 2022. Stitt’s office said Yingling previously served 13 years with the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office before joining the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. He is also a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.
The change puts an agency official with a law enforcement and enforcement background in charge of OMMA while Berry continues in her Cabinet role. The authority oversees Oklahoma’s medical marijuana program, including licensing and compliance.