Will Mississippi's Governor Sign Medical Marijuana Bill? Does It Matter If He Does?

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Tuesday he's yet to decide whether he will sign a bill to legalize medical marijuana for people with debilitating medical conditions such as cancer, AIDS and sickle cell disease.

Regardless of the governor's decision, the bill is expected to become law because the GOP-led House and Senate passed it last week by veto-proof majorities.

Nearly 75% of Mississippi voters approved a medical marijuana initiative in November 2020. Yet after the overwhelming vote, the state Supreme Court proceeded to invalidate the initiative six months later by ruling the process was outdated and the measure was not properly placed on the ballot.

Anger and confusion ensued. NORML's state policies manager Carly Wolf called the ruling “overtly undemocratic tactics,” which should make Americans furious. 

Now, eight months later, Reeves said he likes that the bill requires parental consent and a doctor's permission for patients younger than 18 to obtain marijuana — a requirement that essentially exists in every legal medical marijuana state.

To Sign Or Not To Sign, That Is The Question

The deadline is upon the governor to act on the bill: sign, veto or let it become law.

Reeves told reporters at the Capitol that as the deadline approaches, his attorneys are still reviewing the bill, and he was pleased legislators made some of the changes he suggested, including reducing the amount of marijuana available to patients each month.

“The process doesn't always work, but the process has worked in this particular instance,” Reeves said.