https://msdh.ms.gov/ and click on Medical Cannabis
After being signed into law back in February, the medical marijuana program has officially kicked off in Mississippi. June 1 was the first day that medical marijuana patients were able to begin submitting applications to attain a medical marijuana card.
While it is still new, the medical marijuana license portal has already seen a large number of people applying for licenses. Despite the applications starting now, however, medical marijuana still will most likely not be available for purchase until the later part of the year.
For those who would like to attain the license, the first step is to sign up on the new portal. Registering is the only way for patients to eventually obtain medical marijuana, health administrators to become certified providers, facilities to work with the medical marijuana, and for businesses to transport and dispose of the waste. Even when someone registers on the portal, they are unable to receive a license until they are approved by a certified doctor or practitioner. Based on the rules, there will be a 30-day approval time for all licensure applications and a five-day approval time for program patients.
The only thing the portal does not handle is applications for opening dispensaries. The applications to open a dispensary are processed by the Mississippi Department of Revenue, which will begin accepting applications on July 1.
Eventually, all of the approved providers and dispensaries will be listed on the health department website to better assist patients in need.
Some safety measures have been put in place with the new law to try and protect as many people as possible. The first precaution that will be taken involves labs to test THC levels of the product and check for possible contamination. The other precaution is that advertising and marketing methods are limited so that youth aren’t attracted to it; businesses cannot create a social media account and are only limited to making a website and logo.
Although there are more than two dozen cities in the state that have opted out of the program, any licensed patient is still able to use medical marijuana in those areas; only businesses are not allowed to operate in areas that have opted out.
The program is still new, but it has already started to see a large registration number online since June 1, and that number is anticipated to increase more each day.
