Many political leaders and citizens canceled the legalization of cannabis in Mississippi on May 14, 2021, after the The Mississippi Supreme Court killed Initiative 65, a medical marijuana program that 68% of Mississippi voters approved in November 2020. The measure broke many hearts, and I was left with conversations with activists who had no idea what to do next. To add salt to this new wound, this decision too prevent people from using the ballot initiative process.
Mississippians felt voiceless.
I was on the phone with another potential producer all night after the court blocked the initiative. We spent about 12 hours developing a strategy and completely breaking down what was coming next. We knew that a program would not happen before the legislation allowed it to pass. We also knew that lawmakers tried, but failed, to craft a bill that a majority could agree on during the previous session.
Republican Senator Kevin Blackwell introduced the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act, SB 2765, which lawmakers repeatedly amended, but the bill did not reflect what the people had voted to see implemented. Having language markedly different from Initiative 65, SB 2765 died.
When the bill did not advance, lawmakers amended HB 119 as a last attempt to create a program. While the amended bill also failed to pass, the proposed language helped inform it later SB 2095. The current version of the bill extends the repeal date of the Harper Grace Act, authorizing the research and dispensing, possession and use of cannabidiol (CBD oil) for medical and medicine-related purposes. Harper Grace’s LawHB 1231, states that “patients with severe epilepsy may only use low-THC cannabis as a treatment for their condition.”
Bridging the gap between citizens and legislators
Mississippi resident Donnie Collins soon formed the “There are 74 of us” Facebook group, where he began to bring together companies for political activism. Various social networking groups like the Marijuana advocates against corrupt politics and DeSoto County Mississippians for Medical Cannabis worked closely with cannabis-related legislation. These social media groups also worked with other members of the association Mississippi Medical Marijuana Association (3MA), Minorities for Medical Marijuana (M4MM), Mississippi Minority Cannabis Alliance (MMCA).) i Mississippi Cannabis Trade Association (MSCTA).
Several businessmen joined the fray. Chad King, co-owner of Kelly Greens, focused on providing information. Deaundrea Franklin Delaney of Hemp World represented two associations and also spent the first three weeks at the Capitol alongside WAT74’s most recent president, Bethany Hill, to help push the passage of SB 2095.
The goal was simple: keep the issue alive, work with other groups to unify a message, and bridge the existing communication gap that separated people and lawmakers. This tactic was something we learned in Oklahoma, as rebellion against the people has become evident in other states as well.
I truly believe in the power of people. Many defenders faced the conflict, but the passion of the people prevailed.
Several activists joined Teresa Teran (center), Bethany Hill (right) and Deaundrea Franklin Delaney (left) on the first day of the 2022 session at the Mississippi Capitol to push for the passage of SB 2095. Photo by Teresa Teran
Senator Blackwell was open to talking to all groups to ensure he was gathering a global consensus. Like any leader, he also faced criticism and dealt with it from all angles. The chairman of the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, Senator Hob Bryan, held several meetings to gather information. The meetings brought in subject matter experts, legislators and regulators from other states to testify before the committee. They include various association leaders, advocates and patient representation.
The new bill, SB 2095, also righted the wrongs of many other states. Senator Blackwell made a big change and walked away banning smoking as Alabama had done. Oklahoma and Oregon face product saturation, meaning the amount of products produced exceeds consumer demands. SB 2095 created diversity in the size of operations to address this issue.
The amount you pay for your dispensary license is based on the size of your operation. Louisiana had limited licenses, so they faced a shortage of products. To prevent dispensaries from opening before they had a product available, states issued phased licenses, meaning a dispensary would not have a license before a grower or processor had time to produce products. Everything has to start with planting the first seed and seeing how it becomes a consumable product.
Other states like Oklahoma issued their licenses at the same time, so dispensaries brought products from out of state to stock their shelves. Although I believe that neither Senator Blackwell nor Representative Lee Yancey, also a Republican, believed in the purchase limits, it is clear that they had to negotiate it to bring the opposition.
As time goes on and legislative sessions continue each year, Mississippi will face necessary changes as the industry continues to expand. Cities and counties will join forces to boost allocated funds to help regulate a fast-growing industry. Lawmakers will change patient limits and qualification conditions because they find that, without true clinical research, forcing a medical industry without standards simply doesn’t make sense. Purchase limits only limit taxable purchases, and the need for more products could continue to fuel the black market.
Perhaps it will lead to legalizing the recreational use of cannabis just like in New Mexico, which decided not to tax medical cannabis. Then, we might see other states follow suit. However, this is just the beginning of much more to come as another state embarks on the complexities of regulating an illegal market at the federal level.
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