Mississippi Lawmakers Approve Changes to Medical Cannabis Law

Lawmakers in Mississippi last week approved a bill that would have required changes to the state’s medical marijuana law, a bill that legalized medical marijuana that passed the legislature last year. The measures are House Bill 1158now heads to the desk of Republican Governor Tate Reeves for his consideration.

Senator Kevin Blackwell, a Republican and one of the bill’s authors, said the bill would clarify provisions in Mississippi’s medical marijuana law passed by the state legislature in 2022. .

“Unfortunately, the Ministry of Health probably accepted some things in its rules and regulations that the bill was not intended for.” blackwell said on the Senate floor on March 8.

Republican Rep. Lee Yancey, the bill’s primary author, gave examples of rules enacted by state regulators that would be reversed by House Bill 158 if the governor signs the bill.

“Because the Medical Licensing Board began implementing additional requirements to allow doctors to certify people…and it was not in the bill. It wasn’t.” Yancy saidThe bill is designed to make Mississippi’s medical marijuana program run more smoothly, he said. “So they have to get that eight hours of education in their first year, and then five hours of continuing education each year. That’s enough to keep them informed of what new research shows.” I felt that.”

To prevent similar inconsistencies between state laws and regulations passed by state agencies in the future, this action includes preventing regulators from passing regulations that do not comply with state medical marijuana laws. It also includes language designed to

The text of the bill reads, “No state agency, agency, or commission shall implement any rule, regulation, policy, or requirement that is contrary to the provisions of the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act.”

Bill Makes Several Changes to Mississippi Medical Cannabis Law

House Bill 1158 also keeps investigations by state agencies, including citations issued by the Department of Health, confidential until the investigation into the matter is complete. While previous versions of the bill would have kept such records out of public view indefinitely, some senators have proposed that such materials be excluded from public records for any length of time. argued that it was unacceptable.

Republican Senator Angela Burks-Hill, one of five senators who voted against the bill, said, “When it’s published in a transparent way, it wipes out the conversation on social media. I think it will,” he said. “I think hiding it only fuels that speculation,” she said.

The bill also keeps the addresses of all medical marijuana companies, except pharmacies, private. At a legal hearing, Yancey said the provision was designed to keep cannabis operators safe, who often have to store large amounts of product and cash on site.

House Bill 1158 also requires the Mississippi Department of Health to approve a patient’s application for medical marijuana use within 10 days, a reduction from the current 30-day requirement. This change was enacted to address the backlog of agency processing applications.

Other changes include allowing patients to conduct follow-up visits to physicians other than the physician who originally approved the medical marijuana recommendation without experiencing revocation of certification or access to medical cannabis. In addition, medical professionals who have authorized their patients to use medical marijuana are permitted to assist in completing state applications required for medical marijuana ID cards.

Another section of the law allows distributors to sell topical medical cannabis products that cannot be consumed by adults over the age of 21 without medical marijuana identification. The bill also allows licensed medical marijuana distributors to sell hemp-derived products that are legal under federal law, including low-THC CBD formulations. The bill also specifies that hemp products are not subject to state medical marijuana laws.

The bill also authorizes the Department of Health to contract private laboratories to conduct compliance testing of medical marijuana products. However, such laboratories are not permitted to conduct commercial analyzes of licensed medical marijuana businesses. licensed cannabis transporter or contract the services of an independent licensed transporter.

The law also allows licensed medical marijuana businesses to use marijuana images in their corporate logos and other branding. Pictures of medical marijuana products for sale may be posted online by pharmacies.

House Bill 1158 received final approval from the Mississippi Legislature on March 14. The bill is now awaiting the governor’s action.