Is Cannabis Legal in Mississippi? Mississippi Cannabis Q&A

Year after year, new states are joining the rest of the country with some level of legal marijuana. Mississippi recently passed legislation to set the ball rolling for the state’s medical marijuana program. However, the full process will take a little time, so patients looking for medical cannabis may have a short wait.

So, is weed legal in Mississippi? When will Mississippi dispensaries open? We’ve pulled together the specifics to help you out along the way.

Is Cannabis Legal in Mississippi?

Even though recreational or adult-use cannabis is not legal in MS, medical cannabis is newly legal. The initiative to legalize medical weed was actually passed by voters in 2020, but the initiative was invalidated in 2021 due to technicalities. Early in 2022, the state legislature modified the medical marijuana bill and passed it, which led to the beginning of the state’s legal medical weed program.

How to Get Medical Cannabis in Mississippi?

To be eligible to get medical weed in Mississippi, prospective patients must be found to have a qualifying medical condition by a participating practitioner. Some qualifying conditions listed by the state include:

• Cancer
• Glaucoma
• HIV/AIDS
• PTSD
• Chron’s or ulcerative colitis
• Neuropathy
• Severe injury
• Severe nausea
• Chronic pain

MS actually offers one of the more comprehensive lists when it comes to qualifying conditions. Be sure to check out the full list to see if you may qualify before scheduling an assessment with a certifying practitioner.

The practitioner will determine whether the patient has a medical condition that would qualify for treatment with cannabis and then offer a medical certification. With this certification, patients can apply to the program as a patient using the online portal.

When all steps are complete, patients get an electronic ID card that they can use to purchase cannabis products at approved dispensaries.

Because the cannabis program is relatively new in MS, access to medical cannabis will take a few more months. The state has announced that cannabis should be available to patients by the end of 2022.

When Can You Get a Medical Card in Mississippi?

The application portal for patients seeking a medical marijuana card in MS opened on June 1st, 2022. In order to apply for a medical marijuana card, prospective patients must first visit a qualified practitioner in the state who is participating in the medical cannabis program.

How much is a medical card in Mississippi? The cost to apply for the medical cannabis program is $25. And, the annual renewal fee to keep the card is also $25. Fees differ for those who are covered under Medicaid ($15), are disabled veterans (free), or a non-resident ($75).

The only other cost associated with getting your card is the fees charged by the practitioner to get medically certified.

When Will Mississippi Dispensaries Open?

The MS State Department of Revenue started accepting license applications from dispensary owners in July 2022. Therefore, dispensaries are still underway in the state and patients will have to wait a few months to have access to medical cannabis. Dispensaries are expected to be open later in the year in 2022.

Keep in mind, some areas in the state have opted out of the medical cannabis program when it comes to local participation. Therefore, dispensaries may not be available in every area. Nevertheless, legislators and program supporters are hoping to make dispensaries within reach in most areas.

How Much Does Medical Cannabis Cost in Mississippi?

It is really difficult to pin down exact pricing models for cannabis just yet due to the newness of the medical cannabis program in the state. Costs will naturally vary depending on the type of products purchased. For flower, medical cannabis patients can expect costs to range between $275 and $300 an ounce.

An ounce is a fairly large amount of cannabis, and medical patients will be allowed to purchase up to three ounces per month. However, many new patients will likely be looking to purchase smaller quantities of cannabis, which will be priced much lower.

Even though these costs are a bit higher than in some states, the costs will likely stabilize as the medical marijuana program matures and supplies within MS become more available.

Can You Buy Edibles in Mississippi?

The MS Medical Cannabis Act makes several types of cannabis products available to MS medical marijuana patients, including edibles or cannabis-infused edible products. It is important to stipulate that these products are not legal for anyone other than those who hold a medical marijuana card in the state. MS still has pretty stiff penalties for anyone caught with cannabis.

Penalties for edibles are based on the actual weight of the product and not the amount of THC they contain.

So, if someone is caught possessing a 4-ounce brownie containing THC, this would be counted as 4 ounces (over 100 grams) of cannabis, which could come along with a felony charge, jail time, and fines.

Looking for Medical Cannabis in Mississippi?

Even though the medical cannabis program in the state of Mississippi is just getting started, Southern Sky is on a mission to make sure patients have access to what they need. Our farm-to-patient medical cannabis company is proud to be a forerunner in the Mississippi medical cannabis industry.

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