TUPELO, Miss (WTVA)- The Senate Public Health committee met Thursday to discuss what a state medical marijuana program should look like. This after the mississippi supreme court recentaly blocked the program last month
Ken Newburger, with initiative 65 told lawmakers the program should have some improvements made, but the basics of what voters approved stay the same. Newburger said patients should be able to consume marijuana in any form.
Origianlly the state health department was the only decision maker for initiative 65. “Purpose of that was to make sure there was one decision maker to make sure it didn’t get gummed up in bureaucracy,” Newburger. Now Newburger says some of the decision making should be split up to people who specilize in different topics regarding medical marijuana.
Doctor Thomas Dobbs spoke yesterday at the state legislature; he thinks legalizing recreational marijuana for the state is a conversation that needs to happen.
Dr Dobbs said most of the vocal advocates for marijuana in the state have been from a recreational side.
Dobbs said a marijuana program would be a lengthy process. The state would have to put IT systems in place. The state would have to make product safety labs. And the lab techs would have to test the product before sold.
Dobbs says if the state legalized it recreationally, it could be safer for the people in the state, “A well-managed recreational program would be less dangerous than a medical program where people think they should be taking doses all day long.”
Governor Tate Reeves has not said whether he will call legislators into special session this year to consider medical marijuana legislation.
If he does not, the discussion would happen after the next regular session begins in January.
