BILOXI, Miss. – A recent study of Mississippi’s medical cannabis industry indicates a steady rise in the number of active medical cannabis cards, averaging an increase of 50 per day. This finding is part of the Mississippi Medical Marijuana Association’s comprehensive state of the industry report, which analyzed data from Summer 2024 to Summer 2025.
As of June 2024, approximately 40,000 active medical cannabis cards were reported, with projections suggesting this figure could approach 50,000 by August 2025.
Patient Growth Driven by Word of Mouth
Henry Crisler, director of the association, emphasized that the primary factor driving patient growth is word of mouth. “We have seen a 41.5% increase in active patients over the last year, which is significant,” he stated. Many prospective cannabis patients are learning that obtaining a medical card is less complicated than it appears.
To qualify for a medical cannabis card in Mississippi, applicants must have one of 25 approved medical conditions, with chronic pain being the most frequently mentioned issue by budtenders in local dispensaries.
Dispensary Insights
Leslie Carter, lead budtender at Coastal Capital Dispensary in Biloxi, noted, “We have a lot of people in pain.” The medical cannabis program appears to attract individuals seeking alternatives to traditional pain management, particularly as Harrison County leads the state in both medical cannabis patients and opioid overdose deaths. Carter indicated a clear connection between the two, stating, “Many are transitioning from opioids to marijuana, and that’s been really successful.”
Market Adjustments
Despite the growing patient base, the number of cannabis businesses in the state has declined slightly, decreasing from 386 last year to 374. Crisler attributed this adjustment to an equilibrium between supply and demand, noting, “I would be surprised if that number doesn’t go down before the end of the year.”
Cultivation companies have felt the most impact, while dispensaries are adapting differently to the evolving market landscape. “You will probably not see a significant decrease in actual dispensary licenses, but there will be consolidation. Independent dispensaries are rapidly selling to larger conglomerates, a trend likely to continue,” Crisler added.
For further details, you can access the Mississippi Medical Marijuana Association’s comprehensive 2025 Industry Report.