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D.H. Reilly

First Mississippi Licenses to Cultivate and Process Medical Marijuana Have Been Awarded


If you have been putting off getting your Mississippi Marijuana Card, now is the time to get moving! The state has officially begun awarding licenses to medical marijuana cultivation and processing facilities, which means we are another step closer to the official launch of Mississippi’s medical marijuana market.


The Mississippi Department of Health issued their very first cultivation license in the state on June 29, and has since issued two additional licenses. This means there will soon be businesses who are able to grow and cultivate medical marijuana. The wait is almost over and you’ll soon be able to walk into a dispensary and leave with safe, natural, effective, and legal cannabis.


State Medical Marijuana Licensing Process Began June 1, 2022


The Department of Health began accepting licensing applications from would-be marijuana businesses and patients almost two months ago, on June 1.


At the time, we explained in a blog that the outset of the state’s licensing portal was a substantial step in the process since medical marijuana can’t be sold without first being procured from a licensed grower and tested by a licensed facility. In other words, the sooner growers were licensed, the sooner patients would be able to purchase medicine in dispensaries.


The Department of Health has indeed moved quickly, granting licenses to the second and third cultivators in the state only a day after granting the first one.


Southern Crop Awarded Mississippi’s First Medical Marijuana Cultivation License on June 29, 2022


The Department of Health had predicted that the licensing process would take about 30 days. True to that word, the department issued the first cultivation license on June 29.


The first licensee, Southern Crop Farm, LLC, was understandably pleased to be the first legal grower of marijuana in Mississippi, and promptly issued a press release to crow about the achievement.


Southern Crop began as a medical marijuana supplier to Louisiana, and the company CEO Randy J. Mire is a licensed pharmacist in that state.


Mire said in the press release that the company was “honored to be the first to receive our Cultivation and Processing License in Mississippi. This dream started in Louisiana by dispensing the first medical marijuana recommendation in the Deep South.”


Mississippi Health Department Issues Second and Third Licenses Within Days of the First

Not only did the Department of Health award the state’s first cultivation license before the deadline, but they issued two more licenses over the next two days.


According to a document posted to the Department of Health’s website, the second license was awarded on June 30 to Mockingbird Cannabis, LLC, and the third on July 1 to River Wellness Holdings, LLC.


Each license issued not only represents another step towards Mississippi’s medical marijuana market finally becoming operational, but also a sizable investment in that market by the licensees.


Cannabis Start-Ups Are Investing Big in Mississippi’s Medical Marijuana Market


The start-up costs for cannabis businesses are significant, and the fact that these companies are willing to sink that kind of money into an untested market bodes well for the predicted strength of that market.


Cannabis Businesses’ Costs Begin With Application Fees

Expenses for cannabis start-ups will be significant right off the bat as applying for a license to cultivate marijuana costs anywhere from $1,500 for micro-growers and up to $60,000 for the largest of facilities.


There are also annual fees, which range from $2,000 for the smaller, local growers and up to $150,000 for the big guys. And that’s all before would-be growers have purchased seeds or built a facility!


This major influx of cash for a medical marijuana program that hasn’t even opened yet is one of the reasons starting a cannabis program tends to be a big economic winner for states.


For more on how just cultivation can reap major financial rewards for the state’s economy, let’s look at one of the newly licensed growers: Mockingbird Cannabis.


Newly Licensed Cultivator Makes Massive Investment in Mississippi’s Medical Marijuana Market


Even before receiving their recent license, Mockingbird was already going all-in on Mississippi’s medical marijuana market.


Mississippi Today recently ran a story on Mockingbird’s cultivation and processing facility, which will be “the largest medical marijuana growing and manufacturing operation in Mississippi, if not the southeastern United States.”


The company invested $30 million in the facility before even receiving a license, because they are confident about the sum of the return they will see.


Beyond that initial influx of cash, Mockingbird will continue to benefit the state economy once their hiring process begins. Company CEO Clint Patterson says Mockingbird will be hiring for advantageous jobs, meaning more money for Mississippi’s economy.


Patterson said the company will be looking for more than 200 employees, with the lowest tier making $17 an hour.


Patterson pointed out that cannabis is already a big business in the state, it’s just currently on the black market, where it doesn’t benefit the state’s economy.


“I think that if we were really being transparent and honest, there’s probably a billion dollar industry in cannabis right now in Mississippi,” Patterson said. “It’s just not legal.”


Now Medical Marijuana Is Legal Here, so What Are You Waiting For?


Mississippi will soon launch its own medical marijuana market, meaning that the state will collect taxes on that billion dollar industry, and patients will have the peace of mind when buying tested, regulated medicine instead of relying on shifty street dealers who are selling mystery meds. You can enjoy that same relief, but only if you get a Mississippi Marijuana Card!


Reserve an evaluation online today, and we’ll schedule an appointment for you with one of our compassionate cannabis doctors just as soon as Mississippi’s medical marijuana market is up and running.


You’ll discuss whether you qualify for a Mississippi Marijuana Card, and we’ll make the process of getting yours as easy and convenient as possible. Not only that, but you’ll save $25 off the cost of your evaluation if you reserve it online today!


Mississippi, you’ve waited long enough for the safe, natural relief that only cannabis can provide. Why wait any longer than you have to?


 

Doctors Who Care.

Relief You Can Trust.


Helping everyone achieve wellness safely and conveniently through increased access to medical marijuana. Our focus on education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce the stigma for our patients by providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.


If you have any questions, call us at (833) 781-6635, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!


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