Medical marijuana is now legal in Mississippi following the signing of legislation by Governor Tate Reeves. The law, which establishes a medical marijuana program, will be implemented under the oversight of the Mississippi State Department of Health, with initial licenses and registrations for cannabis cultivation and packaging expected within 120 days. Dispensary licenses will follow within 150 days of the bill’s enactment.
Patient Purchase Limits
A significant aspect of the new legislation is the limitation on the amount of cannabis a medical marijuana patient can purchase. While voters initially approved a monthly limit of 5 ounces in November 2020, the new law restricts this to 3 ounces per month.
Qualifying Conditions for Medical Marijuana
To qualify for a medical marijuana card in Mississippi, patients must have a recognized “debilitating medical condition” certified by a physician. These conditions include:
- Cancer
- Parkinson’s disease
- Huntington’s disease
- Muscular dystrophy
- Glaucoma
- Spastic quadriplegia
- Positive status for HIV
- AIDS
- Hepatitis
- ALS
- Crohn’s disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Sickle-cell anemia
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Agitation of dementias
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Autism
- Pain refractory to appropriate opioid management
- Diabetic/peripheral neuropathy
- Spinal cord disease or severe injury
The law also accommodates those with chronic, terminal, or debilitating conditions that result in severe symptoms such as cachexia, chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures, or persistent muscle spasms. Furthermore, the Mississippi Department of Health has the authority to add other serious medical conditions and their treatments.
This legislative development signifies a notable evolution in Mississippi’s cannabis landscape and presents new opportunities for businesses within the growing medical cannabis sector.
