Medical Cannabis Bill Passes, Heads to Mississippi Governor
JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi lawmakers are sending a bill to the governor that would establish a medical cannabis program for persons suffering from debilitating illnesses.
Mississippi would join the majority of states that allow people to use cannabis for medical purposes if it becomes law, as expected.
The final form of the bill, Senate Bill 2095, was passed by both the House and Senate on Wednesday.The Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act, Senate Bill 2095, was a follow-up to the 2020 initiative and essentially followed its provisions, with the exception of lowering the monthly purchase restriction from five to four ounces.
On January 11, it was introduced in the Senate; on January 16, it was passed by that chamber; and on January 19, it was passed by the state House with amendments. The law was referred to a bicameral committee for reconciliation and was passed by the Senate 46–4 and the House 103–13 in a final vote on January 26, 2022, with implementation pending the governor’s signature.
Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican, has the option of signing the bill, vetoing it, or allowing it to become law without his signature. He hasn’t said what he’ll do, but the bill passed with enough votes to override a veto.
“We worked hard to lower the overall quantity of cannabis in the law, and to the credit of the Legislature, they made significant progress,” Reeves said in a statement reported by the Associated Press.
In November 2020, a majority of Mississippi voters supported a medical cannabis initiative that would have enabled patients to purchase up to 5 ounces of marijuana per month. Six months later, the state Supreme Court struck it down, ruling that the state’s initiative process was outdated and that the measure was not properly on the ballot.
Legislators have been working to create a program that would allow people with illnesses like cancer, AIDS, or sickle cell disease to purchase cannabis from state-licensed dispensaries since shortly after the court ruling.
With bipartisan support, the Senate and House enacted somewhat different versions of a bill this month. Following that, the two chambers decided on a single version to send to the governor. Cities requested zoning provisions, which were included in the final form.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, medical cannabis is legal in 36 states and four territories.
About the Author: HCN News Team
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