The Mississippi State Department of Health is now in the planning stages of the many elements needed to implement a successful medical marijuana program for the state.
MSDH is currently working to establish production, regulation and licensing structures in time for the target date of August 15, 2021. Initiative 65 requires that regulations for all aspects of the program, including production and licensing for sale, must be in place by July 1, 2021.
The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) continues to warn Mississippians to be aware of companies promoting pre-registration and telemedicine consultations for medical marijuana cards. MSDH is in charge of implementing a medical marijuana program, and has not released any regulations or licensed any providers at this time. Therefore, it is premature for any company or entity to post information or offer services regarding medical marijuana. Do not be vulnerable to these scams. You should always refer to this web page for the latest information.
Laboratory Requirements for Public Comment
Product Safety/Laboratory Requirements have been filed with the Mississippi Secretary of State's Office for public comment.
Comments: Comments can be sent to MedicalMarijuana@msdh.ms.gov with Lab Public Comment in the subject line of the email.
Oral proceeding
An public oral proceeding has been scheduled for May 11, 2021 at 10:30 a.m.
Provisional Timeline
MSDH is currently working toward developing regulations according to the following estimated timeline:
| Estimated date | Regulatory action |
|---|---|
| Monday, April 19 | File draft rules with the Mississippi Secretary of State |
| Tuesday, April 20 | First public comment period begins |
| Tuesday, May 11 | Oral proceedings |
| Saturday, May 15 | First public comment period ends |
| Friday, May 21 | Board reviews public comments and makes recommendations for changes |
| Friday, May 28 | Board to adopt changes |
| Monday, June 1 | Refile changes for second public comment period |
| Tuesday, June 2 – Sunday, June 27 | Second public comment period |
| Tuesday, June 29 | Final Board review |
| Wednesday, June 30 | Filing of final rules, effective July 1 |
Qualifying Conditions
Debilitating medical conditions under Initiative 65:
- Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
- Agitation of dementias
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Autism with aggressive or self-injurious behaviors
- Cachexia
- Cancer
- Chronic or debilitating pain
- Crohn's disease
- Epilepsy, or other seizures
- Glaucoma
- Huntington's disease
- Intractable nausea
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Pain refractory to appropriate opioid management
- Parkinson's disease
- Positive status for Human Immunodeficiency virus
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Severe muscle spasticity
- Sickle-cell Anemia
- Spinal cord disease or severe injury
- Ulcerative Colitis
Or another medical condition of the same kind or class as those enumerated and for which a physician believes the benefits of using medical marijuana would reasonably outweigh potential health risks.
Licensing
A licensing system has not yet been established, and we cannot currently accept requests for licenses. Look for licensing requirements and other details as they are developed. However, if a company plans to apply for licensure through the Mississippi State Department of Health for any aspect of the Medical Marijuana Program, potential applicants can take steps now.
Business registration with the Mississippi Secretary of State is anticipated to be a licensure requirement for participation in the Medical Marijuana Program. When forming a Mississippi company, or registering your foreign company to do business in Mississippi, potential applicants should register with the Mississippi Secretary of State's Office. As a part of this registration, entities are required to select an NAICS Code as part of the formation or registration. If the company is interested in being licensed as a part of the Medical Marijuana Program, the applicable NAICS Codes are 111419, 424590, 453998, and 111998. Applicants should choose from one of those available codes in order to complete formation/registration of their business in Mississippi.
Meetings
The Mississippi State Board of Health and the Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee regularly hold online meetings to discuss progress on the state's medical marijuana program. Videos of past meetings are below.
- April 9: Board of Health meeting
- April 7: Advisory Committee meeting
- April 2: Board of Health meeting
- March 26: Board of Health meeting
- February 17: Advisory Committee meeting
Advisory Committee
Members
- Dr. Thomas Dobbs
State Health Officer, Mississippi State Department of Health - Sean Tindell
Commissioner, Mississippi Department of Public Safety - Wendy Bailey
Executive Director, Mississippi Department of Mental Health - Chris Graham
Commissioner, Mississippi Department of Revenue - Andy Gipson
Commissioner, Mississippi Department of Agriculture - Dr. Claude Brunson
Executive Director, State Medical Association - Dr. Kenneth Cleveland
Executive Director, Mississippi Board of Medical Licensure - Susan McCoy
Executive Director, Mississippi Board of Pharmacy - Liz Welch
Executive Director, Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration - Michael Watson
Mississippi Secretary of State - Dr. Larry Walker
Director Emeritus, National Center for Natural Products Research, University of Mississippi - Dr. Thomas Hudson
President, Jackson State University
For inquiries about Mississippi's developing medical marijuana program, send e-mail to MedicalMarijuana@msdh.ms.gov
