Cancer patients, people with epilepsy, and other terminal illnesses may soon qualify for medical marijuana cards in Mississippi. Lawmakers in the Senate and House both passed final votes on the bill yesterday with veto-proof majorities. The program should be active in around four months, though it may take longer to finish growing crops. Ken Newburger, Executive Director of the Mississippi Medical Marijuana Association, says this program will help residents who need cannabis to live better lives. And he says it has the added benefit of introducing a new industry to the state.
Newburger says “There are a lot of people who are already interested, they’ve been raising capital, they’ve been investing in buildings across the state. They’ve been waiting for this uncertainty to become a certainty and reality. And I think that what this means is that we’re gonna start seeing people really moving forward with their business plans, start hiring staff, and really creating jobs across the state.”
Governor Tate Reeves has aired his concerns with the medical marijuana bill for months, saying the measure allows patients to purchase too much product. Mississippians voted to adopt a program in 2020 that would allow for up to 5 oz. of marijuana per month, and the now passed bill reduces that amount by 40% to just 3 oz. per month. Republican Representative Lee Yancey chairs the House Drug Policy Committee. He says this reduced amount can be re-assessed in future sessions.
“We certainly want to look at the dosage amounts, and through the research, we want to know if there are certain dosages or if there are certain parts of the plant or certain cannabinoids that affect different illnesses in a better way,” says Yancey. “This is a compassionate program. I know there are many who are afraid that it will be abused. And we will be watching for that and try to make sure that those people are prosecuted.”
Lawmakers say it is unlikely that the Governor will veto the bill, however they speculate as to if he will sign the legislation or allow it to pass automatically within the coming week.
