Jackson, MS: Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has vetoed legislation (House Bill 1152: The Right to Try Medical Cannabis Act) providing physicians with greater discretion to recommend medical cannabis to their patients.
The proposal sought to create a pathway for practitioners to petition state officials to grant patients with a non-qualifying condition access to medical cannabis on a case-by-case basis. Other provisions in the bill sought to allow eligible out-of-state patients to participate in Mississippi’s medical cannabis access program.
In his veto message, the Governor opined that the latter provision “extended the ‘right to try medical cannabis’ to every person on the planet.”
Governor Reeves also vetoed separate legislation, (House Bill 895), to extend the validity period of a practitioner’s medical cannabis recommendation and remove THC potency caps on cannabis tinctures, among other changes. The Governor argued that the measure sought “to erode important safeguards … to minimize the potential diversion of medical marijuana for recreational purposes.”
On Monday, advocates held a rally at the state capitol urging lawmakers to overturn the Governor’s vetoes. Lawmakers previously approved both measures by more than the two-thirds majority necessary to override a veto.
Mississippi lawmakers legalized medical cannabis access in 2022. Nearly 60,000 patients are currently enrolled to participate in the state-sponsored access program.
NORML has an action alert urging lawmakers to override the Governor’s veto available in the Take Action Center.