JACKSON ⢠Dozens of medical marijuana businesses and nonprofits are popping up around Mississippi even though the stateâs regulatory system wonât be ready for months, and despite the fact that the Mississippi Supreme Court might strike down the voter-approved program.
Companies canât legally grow, process or dispense medical pot until they obtain state licenses, which likely wonât be issued until August. But already more than 90 businesses and nonprofits have registered with the state or reserved a name, according to a recent review of Mississippi Secretary of State records.
Among them: Mississippi Marijuana Doctor, Cannabis Infused Solutions, Cloud 9 Cannabis, Delta Dank and Alien Ganja Farms.
JACKSON • Mississippi voters overwhelmingly approved a medical marijuana program in November, but state lawmakers continued to tinker with their own version Tuesday just before a key deadline.
JACKSON, Miss. – Regulations for a medical marijuana program in Mississippi will be in place by a July 1 deadline, members of the state Board of Health said Wednesday. But they cautioned that it’s unclear how soon marijuana might be available to patients.
Aug. 15 is the deadline for the state to begin issuing licenses for dispensaries and cards for patients.
“I worry that there’s a little bit of a misconception among some in the public about what that means,” board member Jim Perry said during a meeting Wednesday. “They may be expecting that on Aug. 15, that you can walk into a dispensary or treatment center, whatever the nomenclature may be, and say, ‘I got my card this morning. I’m here for my marijuana.’”
JACKSON ⢠While Mississippi voters overwhelmingly endorsed a specific medical marijuana legalization plan in November, the state might ultimately create a program that looks drastically different.
Thatâs because the Mississippi Supreme Court could invalidate Initiative 65 in the coming months. The possibility has led the Legislature to push a replacement pot program that deviates significantly from the constitutional amendment voters wanted.
Marijuana experts and industry players told the Daily Journal they have several technical concerns about the legislative proposal, Senate Bill 2765, from excessive licensing fees for growers and dispensaries to limited patient access.
But their central frustration is that the legislation simply does not mirror what was on the ballot, which they argue is the only fair resolution for Mississippians if the initiative is killed in court.