As lawmakers across the country prepare for their regular legislative sessions, tension builds between Mississippi lawmakers. Governor Tate Reeves, R, and members of the House and Senate have been working together on a medical cannabis bill. Earlier in 2021, the state’s Supreme Court overturned IM 65 on a technicality. This measure had legalized medical cannabis for qualifying patients, on a technicality. Since then, lawmakers in the House and Senate have worked together to create a similar medical cannabis bill. They want to give the people back what they voted for.

However, since September, lawmakers have received several edits and made several compromises with Governor Reeves to try and get the governor to call for a special session. There, lawmakers would approve their medical cannabis bill and work on appropriating the federal Covid funds the state had received following the end of their regular session. Activists, voters, and lawmakers have been waiting for a special session. Now, it appears it won’t happen, and lawmakers will have to move their medical cannabis legislation to the beginning of their regular session in 2022.

Governor’s Opposition to Medical Cannabis

The biggest reason Governor Reeves is opposed to the proposed medical cannabis bill is the amount of cannabis patients can purchase every day. As the draft says, each patient can purchase 3.5 grams of medical cannabis per patient per day. For Reeves, this is too high of an amount and makes the bill more recreational than medical.

“I’ve repeatedly told the members of the Legislature that I am willing to sign a bill that is truly medical marijuana,” Reeves wrote in a recent Facebook post. “One that has reasonable restrictions to ensure that it doesn’t have an adverse effect on Mississippi’s economy. One that has reasonable restrictions to ensure that it doesn’t disrupt Mississippi families. A program that helps those Mississippians who truly need it for an illness.

“This program allows virtually unlimited access to marijuana once you qualify,” Reeves continued. “There is no pharmacist involved and no doctor setting the amount.”

If the bill doesn’t have a decrease in the amount of medical cannabis a patient can purchase a day, then he will veto it. 

Lawmaker Response to Governor Reeves

Lawmakers have worked tirelessly and have made several compromises with the governor, and plan to take action themselves. 

Senator Brice Wiggins, R, is the chairman of the Judiciary Committee Division A. He spoke with local news reporters about the implications of vetoing the medical cannabis bill. Additionally, he discussed what lawmakers would do in response. He wouldn’t be surprised if lawmakers overturned the veto in a ⅔ majority vote in both chambers.

“I would hate for Governor Reeves to have any veto overridden because, like I said, I’ve worked with him on many different things,” Wiggins explained. “But the reality is, is that Initiative 65 passed with close to 70 percent of the vote. And the legislature spent all summer working on this and have listened to the people.

“I understand where he’s coming from,” the senator continued. “But in the hearings that we had in the Public Health Committee, we heard from legislators from Oklahoma, Michigan, Colorado—and now I have not been a drafter on this bill, obviously, but I trust the committee chairmen that are doing this.”

Future

It appears that medical cannabis will come to Mississippi. Lawmakers plan to pass their proposed medical cannabis bill and send it to Governor Reeves. And there’s a strong chance Reeves will veto it. Following a veto, a ⅔ majority vote in both the House and the Senate would overturn a veto. This would turn the bill into a law without the governor’s approval. 

There could be potential changes to the bill. As more information becomes available, we will update you with the latest. 

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