Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves (R) recently vetoed two bills aimed at updating the state’s medical cannabis law. These bills included provisions for ‘right-to-try’ for patients and aimed to relax the regulations around medical visits. Additionally, they would have lifted the THC caps on select medical cannabis products.
Concerns Over Patient Safeguards
In his veto regarding the proposed reforms, Reeves expressed that the legislation would “seek to erode three important safeguards” designed to prevent the diversion of medical cannabis for recreational use. He emphasized the importance of maintaining regulations that include a mandatory six-month follow-up visit to assess the therapeutic benefits of medical marijuana, annual criminal background checks for caregivers, and a THC potency cap of 60% for oils and concentrates. Reeves described these measures as necessary checks and balances that do not create undue barriers to the program.
The vetoed bill has been sent back to the House Business and Commerce Committee for further consideration.
‘Right-to-Try’ Bill Rejected
In addition to the reforms mentioned above, Reeves also vetoed the ‘right-to-try’ bill. He argued that the legislation would universalize access to medical cannabis, extending it to anyone worldwide, which he opposes. In his veto message, he referenced concerns from Dr. Daniel Edney, the state health officer, who noted that the proposed changes diverged from the original intent of empowering Mississippians to work with their healthcare providers primarily in critical situations when other treatments have failed.
Reeves highlighted that the Mississippi State Department of Health communicated to legislative leaders that support could only be given to a narrowly defined version of the legislation. The amended bill, in Edney’s view, distorted the original purpose of enhancing medical options while avoiding a shift toward more recreational use.
This vetoed bill has now been referred back to the House Public Health and Human Services Committee.