Mississippi Doctors Write Letter in Support of Medical Cannabis

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]M[/dropcap]ississippi residents are currently trying to pass Initiative 65, a bill that would allow medical cannabis to be prescribed by licensed facilities. Recently, a group of doctors wrote a letter in support of this initiative, despite the different feelings of other medical professionals in the state.

According to WLOX, the physicians who support Initiative 65 claim that the statement from the Mississippi Board of Health, which was against passing the initiative, is “filled with misinformation and outdated arguments.”

In a letter, the physicians wrote, “[The Board’s] resolution offers no compelling reason why the ten members of the Board should try to stop more than 5,700 physicians in our state from using our experiences, training, and research to consider treating our patients with medical marijuana.”

“While medical marijuana is certainly not a cure-all, Mississippians with debilitating medical conditions deserve to have this option available to them,” they continued. “The experiences in 34 other states show that it can be effective, and we believe the benefits of medical marijuana make it a viable treatment option for many in our state who are suffering.”

Jamie Grantham, communications director for Mississippians for Compassionate Care, told WLOX that he is disappointed about the official position of medical professionals to oppose something “that could change so many peoples’ lives in Mississippi.” He said he was overwhelmed but happy about how many patients and medical providers in the state claim they will vote for medical cannabis in November.

Mississippi has been making strides to legalize medical cannabis, and there are definitely proponents who are in favor of a more progressive cannabis policy. However, there is still much resistance to overcome when it comes to opposition within the state. November 2020 will reveal which way Mississippi will go on medical cannabis legalization.