The law allows patients to buy up to 3 ounces per month. The 5 ounces voters approved in a 2020 referendum that was later struck down by the state Supreme Court on a technicality. In a statement on Twitter, Reeves made it clear he doesn’t support recreational use of marijuana was “committed to supporting the will of the people” as reflected in the referendum.
There is no doubt that there are individuals in our state who could do significantly better if they had access to medically prescribed doses of cannabis. There are also those who really want a recreational marijuana program that could lead to more people smoking and people working, with all the societal and family ills that that brings. Allowing 3 instead of 5 ounces monthly means there will be “hundreds of millions fewer joints on the street,” he said. The state will tax the sale and production of marijuana, which can only be grown indoors under controlled conditions. Dispensaries can be licensed within 150 days of the bill becoming law. The Mississippi State Department of Health will oversee the sale of medical marijuana. The Clarion Ledger said the law stipulates that only medical doctors can prescribe marijuana and that dispensaries must be 1,000 feet away from churches and schools. People granted medical marijuana cards can’t buy new firearms because marijuana is still not legal on a federal level, but they can keep guns they possessed before getting the medical marijuana card. For all the people who are touched in some way by a loved one or someone they know who benefits from medical cannabis, this brings their quality of life back, Mississippi Medical Marijuana Association, a group that pushed for legalization. A majority of Mississippi voters approved a medical marijuana initiative in November 2020, and it would have allowed people to buy up to 5 ounces a month. The state Supreme Court invalidated it six months later by ruling that the state's initiative process was outdated and the measure was not put properly on the ballot. The state House and Senate, both controlled by Republicans, passed the final version of Senate Bill 2095 last week. It sets taxes on production and sale of cannabis, and it specifies that plants must be grown indoors under controlled conditions.
Reeves said because of the reduction from 5 ounces a month in the initiative to 3 ounces a month in the new law, there will be hundreds of millions of fewer joints on the streets because of this improvement. The new law prohibits the state from providing economic development incentives for the cannabis industry. The state often provides tax breaks and financial assistance for roads or water access to industrial sites. The law gives cities and counties 90 days to opt out of allowing medical marijuana facilities, for growing or selling. But, people in those communities could petition for an election to overrule local officials' decisions and allow them. Clint Patterson is chief executive officer of Mockingbird Cannabis, which plans to operate in the state. He said cannabis products can alleviate pain and suffering. We look forward to serving the citizens of Mississippi as they seek to improve their health and quality of life through responsible cannabis use.
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