A Brookhaven dispensary became one of only three in Mississippi to legally sell cannabis on Wednesday. Debbie McDermott was the inaugural customer at the Cannabis Company in Brookhaven, stating, “I do suffer from chronic pain and I have some other issues.”
However, the sale faced delays on Wednesday afternoon at the Brookway Boulevard location. McDermott waited 2.5 hours after placing her order to receive her medicine due to issues with METRC, a point-of-sale system used to track cannabis products from seed to sale. Owner Mitch Parker expressed concern, saying, “I hate it for the patients more than anything. We have people in here who have been waiting for this medicine for so long.”
Mockingbird Cannabis in Raymond supplied the Brookhaven dispensary with marijuana. Earlier in the day, River Remedy, a boutique medical cannabis company based in Byram, started distributing medical marijuana to dispensaries statewide. Other dispensaries, including Hybrid Relief and Starbuds in Oxford, also sold medical cannabis on the same day, according to the Mississippi Medical Marijuana Association.
Ken Newburger, executive director of the Mississippi Medical Marijuana Association, remarked, “We have been working since 2018 to get medical marijuana into the hands of patients in Mississippi, and it’s surreal to see it finally come to fruition. This is only the beginning. More businesses will be harvesting, testing, and getting their products on the shelves in the coming months; therefore, more patients will have access to this medicine at certified businesses across the state.”
Patient Access and Regulatory Framework
To purchase medical marijuana in Mississippi, patients must first consult a physician, nurse practitioner, or optometrist within the state’s medical cannabis program to determine if they have a qualifying medical condition. Eligible patients must then register for certification with the state’s cannabis program. Within 60 days of receiving medical certification, they must apply through the Medical Cannabis Program’s online form. Upon approval, they will receive an electronic identification card usable at dispensaries.
Once certified, patients are allowed to buy 3.5 grams daily, up to six days a week, totaling approximately 3 ounces per month. This legislative change came nearly a year after Governor Tate Reeves signed the bill legalizing medical marijuana in Mississippi. The program is managed by the Mississippi State Department of Health, with local jurisdictions having the option to opt out. Voters approved a medical marijuana initiative in 2020, although the state Supreme Court later ruled that the initiative process was outdated.
