Jackson, MS: Republican Governor Tate Reeves has vetoed House Bill 1152, known as the Right to Try Medical Cannabis Act, which aimed to give physicians more flexibility in recommending medical cannabis to patients.
The proposed legislation sought to establish a framework that would allow practitioners to request state approval for patients with non-qualifying conditions to access medical cannabis on a case-by-case basis. Additionally, it included provisions for eligible out-of-state patients to join Mississippi’s medical cannabis access program.
Governor’s Concerns Over Provisions
In his veto message, Governor Reeves expressed his concern that allowing out-of-state patients access would effectively “extend the ‘right to try medical cannabis’ to every person on the planet.”
Furthermore, the Governor vetoed House Bill 895, which proposed to extend the validity period of medical cannabis recommendations from practitioners and eliminate THC potency limits on cannabis tinctures. The Governor argued that this bill aimed “to erode important safeguards … to minimize the potential diversion of medical marijuana for recreational purposes.”
Advocacy for Veto Overturn
On Monday, advocates rallied at the state capitol, calling on lawmakers to override the Governor’s vetoes. Both measures had previously received more than the two-thirds majority required for a veto override.
Mississippi legalized medical cannabis access in 2022, with nearly 60,000 patients currently enrolled in the state-sponsored program.
NORML has issued an action alert encouraging lawmakers to consider overriding the Governor’s veto on its official page.