Mississippi likely to vote for medical cannabis in 2020

Voters in Mississippi will likely be able to vote on the legalization of medical cannabis after advocacy groups submitted the required number of signatures to qualify for the 2020 referendum.

Although the signatures still need to be verified by the Secretary of State, the Mississippians for Compassionate Care (MCC) stated that after collecting more than 214,000 signatures—more than the required number—105,686 signatures had already been certified, which is about 20,000 more than necessary.

«Petition No. 65 on the medical marijuana »was filed yesterday,« said a spokesperson for the Secretary of State's office. »At this time, we do not know whether the required number of signatures has been met. We are in the process of verifying and determining the number of signatures so that we can file it with the Legislature on the first day of the 2020 session in accordance with state law.”

In addition to reaching the total signature goal among the state’s citizens, activists must also collect a minimum number of signatures from each of the state’s congressional districts for the proposal to be eligible for a vote.

MCC spokesperson Jamie Grantham said the campaign had received «overwhelming support, given the number of signatures collected.».

The proposed measure would allow patients suffering from debilitating conditions to access cannabis after consulting a doctor and receiving a recommendation. Twenty-two conditions, including cancer, chronic pain, and post-traumatic stress disorder, would make patients eligible for the program. The text of the bill can to be here.

Each patient would be allowed to possess up to 2.5 ounces (68 g) of cannabis per 14-day period.

Mississippi currently has a limited program providing access to cannabidiol (CBD), limited due to restrictions on cannabis oil production.

According to the latest polls, 77% of Mississippians support the legalization of cannabis for medical purposes. However, the measure also faces opposition from Governor Phil Bryant (R) and the Mississippi Health Board.