Mississippi becomes 37th state to allow medical use of marijuana

Mississippi on Wednesday became the 37th state to allow the use of medical marijuana.

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed the bill into law after the state legislature passed it last month.

“I have made it clear that the bill on my desk is not the one that I would have written. But it is a fact that the legislators who wrote the final version of the bill (the 45th or 46th draft) made significant improvements to get us towards accomplishing the ultimate goal,” Reeves said in a statement. 

Under the bill, patients will be allowed to buy about three ounces of cannabis per month. Patients will be limited to buying 3.5 grams of cannabis flower, or one gram of cannabis concentration, per day.

Cannabis will have a 7 percent sales tax and 5 percent excise tax.

“There is no doubt that there are individuals in our state who could do significantly better if they had access to medically prescribed doses of cannabis. There are also those who really want a recreational marijuana program that could lead to more people smoking and less people working, with all of the societal and family ills that that brings,” Reeves stated.

The governor has objected to legalizing marijuana in the past, though the legislature had enough votes to override if Reeves decided to veto the legislation.

The governor acknowledged support for legalization among the public, with Mississippi voters approving a medical marijuana ballot measure in 2020. The state Supreme Court later invalidated the ballot initiative.

“I thank all of the legislators for their efforts on these improvements and all of their hard work. I am most grateful to all of you: Mississippians who made your voice heard,” Reeves stated.