The Mississippi House of Representatives passed an amended medical marijuana legalization bill on Wednesday on a 104–14 vote, making changes aimed at addressing concerns raised by Gov. Tate Reeves (R). If the Senate approves the changes and Reeves indeed signs the bill, a system to regulate and sell cannabis to registered patients could launch later this year. Mississippi’s full Senate passed a version of the legalization measure last week, rejecting amendments from liberals and conservatives alike. And although the governor has remained skeptical of the bill—threatening a veto of a draft version circulated late last year—he said earlier this week that it’s getting “better” with every revision. Rep. Lee Yancey (R), who chairs the House Drug Policy Committee, and who’s been working with the bill’s lead sponsor, Sen. Kevin Blackwell (R), said before the House floor vote that he never imagined he’d be in the position to legalize cannabis. But he said a voter-passed legalization initiative in 2020 showed strong support for compassionate use. Since then, proponents in the legislature have worked to balance the earlier initiative’s proposals against demands from the governor and other critics for tighter restrictions.
Ben Adlin, Marijuana Moment, 01/19/2022 18:29:00