Mississippi legislators are still waiting for Governor Tate Reeves (R) to call a special session to enact legislation regulating medical marijuana access in the state.
It’s been weeks since the initial request, and the governor continues to stall.
After lawmakers sent him a draft proposal, which would allow qualifying patients with certain debilitating conditions to access medical marijuana products and herbal cannabis from licensed facilities, Gov. Reeves requested a number of changes, several of which were made. Lawmakers remain opposed to Reeves’ request to reduce the quantity of medical marijuana that non-physician healthcare practitioners, such as nurses, physician’s assistants, and optometrists, should be allowed to recommend.
House and Senate leaders say they have the necessary votes in both chambers for passage, but only the Governor has the authority to call a special session and set the agenda.
Patients deserve timely access to medical marijuana. Send a message to Governor Reeves urging him to call a special session to order now.
After you send Gov. Reeves an email, call him at 601-359-3150 and urge him to convene a special session immediately! Feel free to use the script below:
“Hi, my name is [YOUR NAME] and I am a constituent from [CITY]. I am calling to urge the Governor to convene a special session immediately to enact medical cannabis access legislation. Mississippi patients deserve this access now, and over 70 percent of voters mandated this policy change at the ballot box. Thank you.“
In November 2020, 73 percent of Mississippi voters decided in favor of Initiative 65, which would have established a system of state-licensed dispensaries to begin retail sales of cannabis and cannabis products to patients with a doctor’s authorization. However, the state Supreme Court ruled that the vote was unconstitutional on a technicality and thus voided, because of contradictory language in a state provision that demands an equal number of signatures from Mississippi’s five congressional districts, despite Mississippi only currently having four congressional districts.
