Mississippi passes medical marijuana bill, heads to governor

Mississippi passed a medical marijuana bill in the House and Senate on Wednesday that will now go to the governor’s desk for final approval. 

The two chambers passed the final version of Senate Bill 2095, which will allow people to use marijuana for medical reasons. 

The bill allows patients to buy three ounces of cannabis per month, with purchases limited to 3.5 grams of cannabis flower or one gram of cannabis concentration per day. 

The bill also adds a 7 percent sales tax and 5 percent excise tax on cannabis.

The bill now heads to Gov. Tate Reeves (R), who has not said if he would veto the bill or sign it. He has had objections to legalizing marijuana in the past. 

The lawmakers do have the votes to override a veto if Reeves rejects the bill. 

The legislation comes after Mississippi residents voted in support of medical marijuana during the 2020 election, The Associated Press reported. 

“This news is arguably bittersweet for Mississippi’s patients,” National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws State Policies Manager Jax James said of the bill’s passage. 

“While these steps forward are a welcome development, they are also long overdue. The overwhelming majority of voters decided in favor of this policy change over a year ago, and for the past 14 months the will of the people has been denied as a result of the actions of the state Supreme Court and the Governor,” she added. 

If the bill gets final approval, either from Reeves or a veto override, Mississippi will become the 37th state to allow the medical use of marijuana.