Mississippi becomes 37th state to legalize medical marijuana
JACKSON, Miss. — Medical marijuana is now legal in Mississippi.
Gov. Tate Reeves signed the bill creating the program into law Wednesday evening, which made Mississippi the 37th state to legalize medical marijuana in the United States.
For the past week, Reeves had been mostly noncommittal about his plans, telling reporters Monday he was still reviewing the bill. Reeves announced his decision on social media.
"I thank all of the legislators for their efforts on these improvements and all of their hard work," Reeves wrote in a statement posted on Twitter. "I am most grateful to all of you: Mississippians who made your voice heard."
Under the Mississippi State Department of Health's oversight, the program will get up and running in 120 days with the first licenses and registrations being given to cannabis growing, cultivation and packaging facilities. Within 150 days of the bill becoming law, the dispensaries will be licensed.
The National Conference of State Legislatures says 36 states and four territories already allowed the medical use of cannabis. Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia have not legalized the medical use of cannabis.
“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,” said Ken Newburger, executive director the Mississippi Medical Marijuana Association, a group that pushed for legalization.
Mississippi Sen. Kevin Blackwell, R-Southaven, and Rep. Lee Yancey, R-Brandon, worked closely on the bill, making several changes at Reeves' direction. Most notable among the changes is the amount of cannabis a medical marijuana patient can purchase a month. The law allows for 3 ounces of marijuana per month, significantly less than the 5 ounces voters approved.
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Blackwell proposed, and the Senate passed, a bill allowing 3.5 ounces per month. The House, in an effort to make the bill more conservative, lowered it to 3 ounces, which the Senate eventually approved.
The amount of cannabis available to medicinal users has been a serious sticking point for Reeves, as he claims it would increase the amount of marijuana available to people seeking it for recreational uses.
"There are also those who really want a recreational marijuana program that could lead to more people smoking and less people working, with all of the societal and family ills that that brings," Reeves said.
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.
Contributing: The Associated Press