Now that it’s too late for the special session he first called for back in June, Governor Tate Reeves is finally explaining his problem with the medical marijuana law that the legislature has negotiated. It turns out that the governor wants you to be able to get a Mississippi Marijuana Card, sure, but he doesn’t think you should be able to use it to buy a voter-approved amount of marijuana.
Reeves had said in June that he wanted both houses of the legislature to negotiate a medical marijuana law to replace Initiative 65, the medical marijuana bill that was overwhelmingly passed by Mississippi voters back in November of 2020, but that was overturned by the state Supreme Court in May.
Tate Reeves Refused to Call for the Special Session He Called for
At the time, Reeves said he’d call a special session to pass the legislation, “he supports calling state lawmakers back to the Capitol for a special session to address a medical marijuana program as long as state lawmakers can agree on the specifics beforehand.”
But as we told you in December, Reeves was suddenly unwilling to call a special session, even though the legislature had come to an agreement on the specifics, the only condition he had previously placed on the special session.
More frustrating than his unwillingness to live up to his word was the fact that Governor Reeves refused to say what it was he objected to in the bill. Now that it’s too late and the clock has run down on 2021, however, the governor has finally broken his silence on his opposition to the legislation.
Reeves Objects to Mississippians Buying as Much Medicine as Other States Get and Voters Wanted
WLOX, Biloxi’s ABC/CBS affiliate, reports that Reeves said that the amount of marijuana allowed for purchase in the legislature’s bill is too high.
“The bill allows any individual to get 3.5 grams of marijuana per day. A simple Google search shows that the average joint has 0.32 grams of marijuana. Therefore, any one individual can get enough weed to smoke 11 joints a day. Every day.... That would be 1.2 billion legal joints sold in Mississippi per year. Call me crazy, but I just think that’s too broad of a starting point,” Reeves said in a Facebook post.
Reeves also wrote “I hope that legislative leaders will see fit to consider reducing the tremendous amount of weed they seek to make legally accessible so that I can sign their bill and we can put this issue to rest.”
Representative Lee Yancy, one of the primary negotiators of the bill, said that the 3.5 grams per day was comparable to other state medical marijuana laws. In fact, 3.5 grams per day works out to about 3.75 ounces a month, well below the 5 ounces per month that would have been allowable under Initiative 65.
When he first called for the legislature to craft a medical marijuana bill, Reeves said that “It is imperative that we (pass a medical marijuana law), and get it done quickly,” in order to respect “the will of the voters.” But now we’ve learned that the reason medical marijuana didn’t come to Mississippi in 2021 is that Tate Reeves didn’t respect the voters’ will regarding the amount of medicine they could purchase.
Medical Marijuana Still Coming to Mississippi
Yancy believes that the medical marijuana bill negotiated by the legislature has the votes to pass in 2022, but it’s unclear if there would be enough votes to override the governor’s will should Reeves opt to veto the bill.
Still, Mississippians, like Americans in general, support medical marijuana, and Reeves ultimately answers to the will of the voters, whether he respects that will or not.
With 91% of Americans supporting medical marijuana, and 81% of Mississippians agreeing, it’s only a matter of time before medical marijuana comes to the Magnolia State. In the meantime, why not start getting ready for its arrival right now?
Reserve an evaluation online today with one of our compassionate doctors, and we’ll book an appointment for you just as soon as Mississippi’s medical marijuana market is up and running.
You’ll meet with your doctor virtually, using your smartphone or computer for a telemedicine appointment. You’ll discuss your conditions and if you qualify for medical marijuana, all without even leaving your home. You’ll even save $25 off the cost of your evaluation!
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!