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Mississippi Cancels Voter-Approved Medical Cannabis Legislation

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In a 6-3 vote, the Mississippi Supreme Court on Friday overturned the state’s voter-approved medical cannabis initiative. 

According to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijana Laws (NORML), 73 percent of Mississippi voters on Election Day decided in favor of Initiative 65, which would establish a system of state-licensed dispensaries to engage in the retail dispensing of cannabis and cannabis products to patients who possess a doctor’s authorization. 

Prior to the vote, officials representing the city of Madison, including the town’s mayor, filed suit arguing that the legislature’s failure to update guidelines for petitioners should invalidate the initiative vote. 

A majority of the court ruled, “Whether with intent, by oversight or for some other reason, the drafters of section 273(3) wrote a ballot-initiative process that cannot work in a world where Mississippi has fewer than five representatives in Congress. To work in today’s reality, it will need amending—something that lies beyond the power of the Supreme Court.”

Specifically, state statutes call for petitioners to gather an equal percentage of signatures from five congressional districts. However, following redistricting in 2000, there are only four congressional districts in the state. Lawmakers since that time have failed to update the statute.

Ironically, this fact never before disabled other new ballot initiatives to amend the state’s constitution. 

In a dissent, Justice James. D. Maxwell II wrote, “Not only is this particular initiative dead, but so is Mississippi’s citizen initiative process.”

NORML State Policies Manager Carly Wolf criticized the majority’s opinion. 

“Legalization opponents have shown time and time again that they cannot succeed in either the court of public opinion or at the ballot box,” she said. “ Whether or not one supports marijuana reform, Americans should be outraged at thest overtly undemocratic tactics, and as a result, the most vulnerable Mississippians will continue to be denied safe access to a therapy that could offer them significant relief from severely debilitating conditions.”

Cannabis activists like the Mississippi Medical Marijuana Association are now unsure what to do next and do not know how to get a similar measure on the state House and Senate floors.