Medical marijuana will be legal in Mississippi. There were two measures on the ballot. More than 70 percent of voters in Mississippi voted for the citizen-sponsored initiative number 65, defeating the alternative 65A.
Initiative 65 legalizes medical marijuana to treat 22 qualifying debilitating medical conditions such as cancer, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease. And other conditions can be later added. Part of 65 allows individuals to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana at one time sold at an unlimited number of licensed treatment centers statewide. It requires the Mississippi Dept. of Health to implement, administer, and enforce the provisions of this article and to issue rules and regulations.
The alternative measure on the ballot, 65A, was approved by state lawmakers in the 2020 legislative session. It would have restricted smoking marijuana to terminally ill patients. It required pharmaceutical-grade marijuana products and treatment oversight by licensed physicians, nurses, and pharmacists. The measure limited the number of state-licensed manufacturers of marijuana products and left tax rates and possession limits to be set by lawmakers.
Marijuana will become part of the Mississippi Constitution - where no other drug is addressed. In order to remove or amend the provisions in article 65, it would take another statewide vote. Other drugs, alcohol, and tobacco products are incorporated into general laws that can be changed through a simple majority vote of both legislative chambers and by the governor's signature.
For an initiative to pass, it requires at least 40% of everyone who votes in the general election to vote on the issue. And of those votes, a simple majority is required in order for it to pass.
