Local CBD sellers give their take on Medical Marijuana Bill – The Oxford Eagle

As Mississippi moves at full speed with the Senate Bill 2095, also known as the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act, Oxford CBD oil sellers are involved in legislative proceedings.

On Wednesday, the Mississippi State House voted 104-14 to pass a bill to create a medical marijuana program.. The bill has been sent back to the state Senate, where Mississippi residents are waiting to see if senators will agree with the bill as it stands.

The current medical marijuana bill is a different piece of legislation from Initiative 65 that a large number of Mississippi voters passed in November 2020. The initiative was supposed to create a program in mid-2021, but it was annulled by the Supreme Court of the State. who considered the voting process obsolete.

The ruling also left Mississippi without a way for people to ask for a petition to put voters in trouble. Following the court ruling, legislative leaders appointed a committee to draft a medical marijuana bill.

State Governor Tate Reeves has spoken out about his problems with medical marijuana, calling the proposal “recreational.” Reeves has proposed reducing the amount of marijuana to 2.8 grams compared to the 5 grams proposed in Initiative 65.

As the bill passed the state Senate, the amount of marijuana shifted to where a person with a prescription could get up to 3.5 grams a day, seven days a week. Once again, it was reduced to 3 grams in the State House, which was closer to the amount proposed by Reeves.

The owner of your CBD store, Glynis Stitts, said that while she may agree with Reeves and applaud him for making some revisions to the bill, Reeves obviously considers the substance a drug and is he refuses to be further educated.

“All of his arguments come from a fearful ignorance rather than data we have from nearly two decades of legislation,” Stitts said. “We do not judge oranges by their vitamin C content and we do not fight over the pharmaceutical distribution by weight. We should consider the plant as a whole, creating a legal market. “

The medical marijuana program is designed for people with debilitating medical conditions such as cancer, sickle cell disease, glaucoma, or dementia. According to Stitts, controlling the dosage amount is not feasible because a patient’s condition could worsen at any time, which would require a higher dose of medical marijuana.

“… he is trying to be the governor and the doctor by controlling the amount that can be obtained instead of allowing the doctor to do his job,” he said. “If a doctor over-prescribed a drug, their license is at stake and professional doctors take their oath seriously and don’t risk that opportunity.”

While the current bill is much lower than what the Mississippi and state senators proposed, it is a good middle ground, said Tony Barragan, owner of Hemp Ville CBD.

“I think three [grams] it’s a great start, ”Barragan said.“ I think it’s a good midpoint for everyone, including the governor, and I think it’s a great point to learn. I think [Representative Lee] Yancey put it best when he said, “Let science meet politics.” I could not agree more. I think we have to let this thing go on and if we find that there are patients who see that there is not enough cannabis, we can approach it in different ways. “

Another change was the removal of the state Department of Agriculture from any role in the operation of the medical marijuana program at the request of Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson.

Barragan said the agriculture department would have been a great asset because of its experience with a state plan for Mississippi Hemp Cultivation Act, which was signed into law on June 29, 2020. This law legalized hemp cultivation under a state plan that was to be created and implemented by the Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce.

“I think it’s a great opportunity to create new jobs for the departments that will take care of that,” he said. “I feel the burden that the health department will take on, but it will create jobs for people who don’t have it now.”

Now Stitts, Barragan and the entire state of Mississippi are awaiting the final decision, as the Senate has its hopes and expectations in its hands. Some back and forth from local politicians will be expected, but both feel that the marijuana bill will be passed. In the end, this bill is what the Mississippians voted for.

“I think this is a fantastic, great, fantastic bill for our patients, for our community, for our legislature, and for Mississippi as a whole,” Barragan said. “I commend all those who have done all the hard work and all the effort to pass such a big bill.”