Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves on Wednesday signed a bill legalizing medical marijuana for certain patients.
“There is no doubt that there are individuals in our state who could do significantly better if they had access to medically prescribed doses of cannabis,” Mr. Reeves, a Republican, said in a statement released on Twitter.
The law states that those with “debilitating medical conditions” can use medical cannabis and obtain an identification card to purchase the drug. Registered caregivers are also eligible to obtain cards.
The cannabis will be dispensed in measures called Mississippi Medical Cannabis Equivalency Units. One unit equals 3.5 grams of cannabis, 1 gram of medical cannabis concentrate or 100 milligrams of THC.
The bill passed after lawmakers’ amendments that included only allowing medical professionals to prescribe the drug and prohibiting dispensaries from operating near churches and schools.
“I have made it clear that the bill on my desk is not the one that I would have written,” Mr. Reeves said. “But it is a fact that the legislators who wrote the final version of the bill (the 45th or 46th draft) made significant improvements to get us towards accomplishing the ultimate goal.”
Mississippi is the 37th state to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Drugs that contain cannabinoids can be helpful in treating epilepsy, nausea associated with cancer, and weight loss and lack of appetite associated with HIV and AIDS, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.
• Peter Santo can be reached at psanto@washingtontimes.com.
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