Gov. Tate Reeves of Mississippi followed the science this week and vetoed two bills that would have massively widened access to ‘medical’ marijuana for Mississippians and everyone else.
SAM was honored to play a role in advocacy against these bills. HB 895 would have removed important safeguards for the existing marijuana program, including a 60% THC potency cap for concentrates, mandatory follow-ups for users, and requiring caregivers to pass annual background checks. HB 1152 contained language that would have allowed out-of-state residents to obtain a Mississippi medical marijuana card.
“Let’s be clear: Raw marijuana is not and cannot ever be medicine,” said SAM CEO Kevin A. Sabet. “An avalanche of recent data only confirms what science has known for decades. So bravo to Gov. Reeves for vetoing two bills that would have opened the floodgates to marijuana access—i.e., to anyone capable of getting to the Magnolia State—and ended key public-health protections, above all around potency. Ultra-potent products drive the marijuana-psychosis connection. Great thanks are due to State Health Officer Dr. Daniel Edney, who played a key role in offering guidance to the governor on this issue. The backlash to ‘medical’ marijuana as a tool for full legalization is well underway across the nation, and that’s a resounding win for public health.”