Mississippi’s latest cannabis bill, which proposes a foundation for the medical cannabis market, recently received a major overhaul by the state House.
Senate Bill 2765, originally introduced by Senator Kevin Blackwell, was at risk of being denied further progress in Congress, however it may move forward thanks to major changes made in the House Ways and Means Committee—specifically by Representative Joel Bomgar.
Originally, SB-2765’s text was similar to Initiative 65, a previous bill, minus a lot of original language proposed by Blackwell. “From the beginning, SB-2765 was destined to end up in conference. So there was no surprise when the House did a strike-all. I believe we will work it out so we ensure we retain a medical cannabis program in place in the event the courts strike down initiative 65,” said Blackwell.
Also according to Blackwell, the bill was created to operate alongside Initiative 65, the cannabis legislation that was voted into law in Mississippi in November 2020. Under the legal language, the bill would have put a cap on how many dispensaries could be opened and where they could be located. It also would have set up an advisory committee and established rules that regulate sales tax. Tax money would have been earmarked for elementary education through the Early Learning Collaborative.
Much of the aforementioned information has been removed from the bill after it struggled through both the House and the Senate in terms of approval. When it was brought to the Senate floor for a vote in February, it failed 30 to 21. The bill was only saved due to major pruning. Next, SB-2765 will advance to the House floor.News outlets report that medical cannabis businesses have already begun to pop up across the state, despite the fact that the state’s current, voter-approved law is not yet ready to launch. The Daily Journal notes that over 90 businesses applicants and nonprofit organizations have already registered with the state.
