Publisher’s Note: What does that mean to opt in or opt out of the brand new Cannabis Act? This is only the beginning of digging into a lot of information from the 495-page Cannabis Act. The Clarke County Tribune will have several upcoming stories on the process as it unfolds to hopefully answer all of your questions. We plan to stay on top of all decisions concerning this as we understand this something new for everyone. Look for more information in upcoming editions and on our website at www.clarkecounty trib.com, along with our Facebook and Twitter.
With the recent passage of the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act, the Mississippi Department of Health has been working steadily to develop the guidelines that must be followed in the state. The act itself dictates the cultivation, disposal, processing, research, testing, transportation, and the use of cannabis in Mississippi.
When the act was taken for a vote in the House of Representatives, only 70 votes were required for the bill to pass. It received 105 yes votes and only 13 no votes.
Representative Troy Smith voted no on the bill because of the side effects of the bill its conditions will have. He does believe in those who need to use marijuana for medical reasons to be able to use it, but he did not agree with the way the bill was worded and how it could infringe on various rights.
“I am for a true medical marijuana bill. I feel that this bill has pluses and a lot of minuses. It’s going to have side effects after it’s passed. I am for the people who need this medication to get it,” explained Representative Smith. “It has a lot of conditions on how it can be grown next to people’s houses and their landlines, and I see that becoming a big issue in the future. I’ve been getting up with the sheriff’s departments and highway patrol departments, and they have issues with it as well. Medical marijuana is going to be taxed at a high price; therefore, street value marijuana is going to be an issue as it is in other states that have passed this issue. I also would like to see the people of Clarke County be able to vote on it. I think people were persuaded by a lot of ads on T.V. that came from big money marijuana people. I believe there is a need for medical marijuana, and the people that need it need to get it, but this bill has issues.”
He is also concerned with the effect the bill has on the people’s right to bear arms because of how it is written.
“It is still a schedule one drug; therefore, it violates some of your gun rights if you have the card. This is a big issue and needed to be straightened out in this bill, but it wasn’t. You cannot buy a weapon or have one anymore if you have a card. It’s a violation of your gun rights if you have a card,” continued Smith. “This was an issue that wasn’t talked about a lot during session that many people don’t know about. You’re not supposed to have a schedule 1 drug and a firearm in your possession, or you could be subject to a felony. This is a big issue of why I could not support this bill.”
In the State Senate, the bill attained 46 yes votes and only four no votes.
Like Smith, Senator Jeff Tate also opposed the
passage of the bill for similar reasons. He believes in people using it for medical reasons, but the negative impact the bill could have because of its regulations caused him to say no.
“I am not 100% opposed to medical marijuana; however, I have serious issues with the language of this bill,” proclaimed Senator Tate. “1) The bill allows for inmates in prison to smoke marijuana. 2) The bill allows for children in schools, both public and private, to be administered marijuana. 3) There are zoning issues; it allows for marijuana to be grown, processed, and sold in residential areas. 4) Marijuana—medical or recreational—is a schedule one felonious drug. Sellers are required to record anyone who buys marijuana. At any time, a sitting President can declare those recorded people to be felons. Those people could have their guns taken away: all firearms, including assault rifles, handguns, rifles, and shotguns.”
While he voted no to the bill, he is supportive of the decisions made by the local counties and municipalities regarding the bill. He wants the ones to need it to receive the help they need, but he also wants the bill to be written in a way that doesn’t have the possibility for so many negative consequences.
“I respect the decision of each county and municipality to opt in or opt out,” continued Tate. “I have heard from several cancer patients and parents of children that suffer from seizures to know there is a place for this. My ‘no’ vote was simply on the substance of the bill, and given our current federal marijuana status, I could not support this bill that may have unintended consequences for Mississippians.”
Locally, the county board of Supervisors, along with each municipality, will vote to either opt out or opt in to have it manufactured and distributed here.
Counties and municipalities have until May 3, 2022, to decide whether or not they will choose to opt in or opt out of the bill. They are choosing whether to allow marijuana to be grown, harvested, and distributed within their limits, so they only vote on whether or not they will allow the commerce side in their boundaries. No matter what decision they make on opting in or out, anyone who attains a card for medical marijuana will still legally be able to use medical marijuana in those limits.
Clarke County
In their regular scheduled board meeting on Monday, April 19, the Clarke County Board of Supervisors voted to opt in on the cannabis act. There are still steps to go through before this comes into play. The supervisors will have to make decisions on where and how it will be manufactured and sold. This process is still in the early stages, and the regulations are not set in stone yet.
Board Attorney Bill Hammack informed the Board, along with community members who attended the meeting, how the opt in process works:
• The Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act that was passed by the state is 495 pages long. The senate and house both overwhelmingly voted to pass the act, along with the citizens of Mississippi.
• Medical Marijuana will be a “heavily regulated process” by the state just like alcohol, meaning not just anyone can manufacture or sell it.
• The county WILL NOT get any sales tax from this.
• Although the county has to follow the laws in the 495-page Act, the state gives the county the right to regulate the locations that is manufactured and sold, what is allowed and not allowed, and the areas can be zoned, such as not within so many feet of schools and churches.
• If you don’t vote to opt in or out, you will automatically be open for business, and it cannot be reversed. If you opt in, you can never reverse the decision. If you opt out right now, you can always opt in at a later date.
Each supervisor spoke in favor or not of the process:
Joel Speed – I tried my best to do my research, from talking to the highway patrol to people who’s had cancer that had it prescribed. I also talked to some people who casually use it. I showed them how much that could be prescribed, and their eyes lit up. They said, “If I used that much a day, I wouldn’t know I was on the planet. That’s way more than you will use in a day.” I asked what would you do with the extra? “I would sell it.” With that being said, I just cannot vote for it. I think in a couple years, we will see all these 14 years old with it.
Lorenzo Carter – It’s in front of us now. It offers so many benefits from cancer, heart disease, sickle cell, chromes, and the list goes on. It has so many benefits for people. I hope I never need it. I vote to opt in.
Darrick Marshall – Up to 95% of the House of Representatives and Senate voted for it - both sides. The people of Mississippi voted for it overwhelmingly. Whether I am for it or not, as a representative of the people, I don’t see why I should stand in the way of what the people want. The people voted and the government signed off on it, so it’s not my decision to make. The people we voted in in Jackson, their name is stamped on the bill; the governor’s name is stamped on it, so it must be good.
Mickey Long – Eight out of 10 Mississippians voted for it. My granddaughter spent 17 months at St. Jude, along with a ton of other people. She is 19 now and that was when she was 17 months old. Without that drug, she may not be here. They were using the drug at St. Jude back then. I’m giving you first-hand information. She couldn’t eat or keep anything down, and this drug helped her. It does several things. Can it be exploited? Sure it can. Anything can be; just ask law enforcement. I can’t, as an elected official, not vote for this. We take an oath to do what the law says do, and the people voted it through eight out of 10 people. I have to follow suit to do what the state is telling us to do. My vote has to be yes.
Paul Mosley – I am thinking this will open the door for future things to throw down to supervisors. We don’t need to be in the medicine business. What’s next? Are they going to send opioids or anything like that down to us to vote on? They should be going through the big pharmaceutical companies. One of our representatives didn’t vote for it because of the wording of the bill. We will not be getting any money out of it for the county anyway. I vote to opt out.
Town of Enterprise
At this time, the Town of Enterprise will most likely opt out of the act.
“We’re going to vote on that the first meeting in the month of May,” stated Enterprise Mayor Tony Chancelor. “The city will most likely opt out of the commerce portion of that. We’re not planning on having any growers, sellers, or harvesters. If someone needs to take medical marijuana and has the documentation, then they’re good. We just aren’t going to do the commerce part of it.”
Town of Stonewall
The Town of Stonewall has chosen to opt out for now.
“The board voted to opt out,” informed Stonewall Mayor Jerry Rich. “You can opt back in at any time, and the board wants to see how the rest of the state does. They just want to wait and see how it goes before they decide anything else, so they chose to opt out.”
Village of Pachuta
The Village of Pachuta made the decision to opt in.
“We are allowing everything that is stated in the bill,” declared Pachuta Mayor Phil Fuller. “Our reason behind that is that it was voted on by the people, and it can be beneficial to people with terminal illnesses and other illnesses.”
City of Quitman and Town of Shubuta
Both the City of Quitman and Town of Shubuta elected to table their decision until their meeting in May so that they could obtain more information on the subject before deciding.
passage of the bill for similar reasons. He believes in people using it for medical reasons, but the negative impact the bill could have because of its regulations caused him to say no.
“I am not 100% opposed to medical marijuana; however, I have serious issues with the language of this bill,” proclaimed Senator Tate. “1) The bill allows for inmates in prison to smoke marijuana. 2) The bill allows for children in schools, both public and private, to be administered marijuana. 3) There are zoning issues; it allows for marijuana to be grown, processed, and sold in residential areas. 4) Marijuana—medical or recreational—is a schedule one felonious drug. Sellers are required to record anyone who buys marijuana. At any time, a sitting President can declare those recorded people to be felons. Those people could have their guns taken away: all firearms, including assault rifles, handguns, rifles, and shotguns.”
While he voted no to the bill, he is supportive of the decisions made by the local counties and municipalities regarding the bill. He wants the ones to need it to receive the help they need, but he also wants the bill to be written in a way that doesn’t have the possibility for so many negative consequences.
“I respect the decision of each county and municipality to opt in or opt out,” continued Tate. “I have heard from several cancer patients and parents of children that suffer from seizures to know there is a place for this. My ‘no’ vote was simply on the substance of the bill, and given our current federal marijuana status, I could not support this bill that may have unintended consequences for Mississippians.”
Locally, the county board of Supervisors, along with each municipality, will vote to either opt out or opt in to have it manufactured and distributed here.
Counties and municipalities have until May 3, 2022, to decide whether or not they will choose to opt in or opt out of the bill. They are choosing whether to allow marijuana to be grown, harvested, and distributed within their limits, so they only vote on whether or not they will allow the commerce side in their boundaries. No matter what decision they make on opting in or out, anyone who attains a card for medical marijuana will still legally be able to use medical marijuana in those limits.
Clarke County
In their regular scheduled board meeting on Monday, April 19, the Clarke County Board of Supervisors voted to opt in on the cannabis act. There are still steps to go through before this comes into play. The supervisors will have to make decisions on where and how it will be manufactured and sold. This process is still in the early stages, and the regulations are not set in stone yet.
Board Attorney Bill Hammack informed the Board, along with community members who attended the meeting, how the opt in process works:
• The Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act that was passed by the state is 495 pages long. The senate and house both overwhelmingly voted to pass the act, along with the citizens of Mississippi.
• Medical Marijuana will be a “heavily regulated process” by the state just like alcohol, meaning not just anyone can manufacture or sell it.
• The county WILL NOT get any sales tax from this.
• Although the county has to follow the laws in the 495-page Act, the state gives the county the right to regulate the locations that is manufactured and sold, what is allowed and not allowed, and the areas can be zoned, such as not within so many feet of schools and churches.
• If you don’t vote to opt in or out, you will automatically be open for business, and it cannot be reversed. If you opt in, you can never reverse the decision. If you opt out right now, you can always opt in at a later date.
Each supervisor spoke in favor or not of the process:
Joel Speed – I tried my best to do my research, from talking to the highway patrol to people who’s had cancer that had it prescribed. I also talked to some people who casually use it. I showed them how much that could be prescribed, and their eyes lit up. They said, “If I used that much a day, I wouldn’t know I was on the planet. That’s way more than you will use in a day.” I asked what would you do with the extra? “I would sell it.” With that being said, I just cannot vote for it. I think in a couple years, we will see all these 14 years old with it.
Lorenzo Carter – It’s in front of us now. It offers so many benefits from cancer, heart disease, sickle cell, chromes, and the list goes on. It has so many benefits for people. I hope I never need it. I vote to opt in.
Darrick Marshall – Up to 95% of the House of Representatives and Senate voted for it - both sides. The people of Mississippi voted for it overwhelmingly. Whether I am for it or not, as a representative of the people, I don’t see why I should stand in the way of what the people want. The people voted and the government signed off on it, so it’s not my decision to make. The people we voted in in Jackson, their name is stamped on the bill; the governor’s name is stamped on it, so it must be good.
Mickey Long – Eight out of 10 Mississippians voted for it. My granddaughter spent 17 months at St. Jude, along with a ton of other people. She is 19 now and that was when she was 17 months old. Without that drug, she may not be here. They were using the drug at St. Jude back then. I’m giving you first-hand information. She couldn’t eat or keep anything down, and this drug helped her. It does several things. Can it be exploited? Sure it can. Anything can be; just ask law enforcement. I can’t, as an elected official, not vote for this. We take an oath to do what the law says do, and the people voted it through eight out of 10 people. I have to follow suit to do what the state is telling us to do. My vote has to be yes.
Paul Mosley – I am thinking this will open the door for future things to throw down to supervisors. We don’t need to be in the medicine business. What’s next? Are they going to send opioids or anything like that down to us to vote on? They should be going through the big pharmaceutical companies. One of our representatives didn’t vote for it because of the wording of the bill. We will not be getting any money out of it for the county anyway. I vote to opt out.
Town of Enterprise
At this time, the Town of Enterprise will most likely opt out of the act.
“We’re going to vote on that the first meeting in the month of May,” stated Enterprise Mayor Tony Chancelor. “The city will most likely opt out of the commerce portion of that. We’re not planning on having any growers, sellers, or harvesters. If someone needs to take medical marijuana and has the documentation, then they’re good. We just aren’t going to do the commerce part of it.”
Town of Stonewall
The Town of Stonewall has chosen to opt out for now.
“The board voted to opt out,” informed Stonewall Mayor Jerry Rich. “You can opt back in at any time, and the board wants to see how the rest of the state does. They just want to wait and see how it goes before they decide anything else, so they chose to opt out.”
Village of Pachuta
The Village of Pachuta made the decision to opt in.
“We are allowing everything that is stated in the bill,” declared Pachuta Mayor Phil Fuller. “Our reason behind that is that it was voted on by the people, and it can be beneficial to people with terminal illnesses and other illnesses.”
City of Quitman
The City of Quitman opted in during their meeting Tuesday night, April 19.
Town of Shubuta
The Town of Shubuta elected to table their decision until their meeting in May so that they could obtain more information on the subject before deciding.
