Mississippi board of health opposes medical marijuana ballot initiative Initiative proposes health department regulate medical marijuana Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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YEAH MEGAN... THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE SAYS THERE ARE ENOUGH SIGNATURES FOR A MEDICAL MARIJUANA MEASURE TO APPEAR ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER... THE PROSPECT IS GAINING SUPPORT FROM CITIZENS, AS WELL AS SOME OPPOSITION... EVEN FROM A STATE AGENCY... ON THEIR WEBSITE, MISSISSIPPIANS FOR COMPASSIONATE CARE SAY IF THE MEASURE IS APPROVED IN NOVEMBER, SUFFERING PATIENTS WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCES THE DRUG, AFTER AN EXAMINATION BY A LICENCED PHYSCIAN... INDIVIDUALS WOULD HAVE TO BE DIAGNOSED WITH A "DEBILITATING MEDICAL CONDITION" TO BECOME A QUALIFIED PATIENT... THE WOULD THEN BE ABLE TO ACCESS A MEDICAL MARIJUANA IDENTIFICATION CARD, THAT WOULD BE ISSUED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH... STATE SENATOR JOHN HORN SAYS THE MEASURE WILL BE DEBATED DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION... WE'RE ON A PATHWAY TO AH, PASSING IT IF, ONCE WE PUT IT ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER. UH...THE VAST MAJORITY OF MISSISSIPPIANS WHO'VE BEEN SURVEYED ARE IN FAVOR OF THIS MEASURE, AND UH, THE INITIATIVE IS EVIDENCE OF THAT IF IT BECOMES LAW, THE MEASURE WOULD MAKE WAY FOR THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO REGULATE THE GROWING OF MARIJUANA IN THE STATE, ALONG WITH PROCESSING, AND THE MONITORING OF TREATMENT CENTERS. BUT NOT ALL ARE IN FAVOR... THAT VERY AGENCY IS SIGHTING SEVERAL REASONS IN A RESOLUTION PASSED IN A DECEMBER BOARD MEETING...CALLING FOR STRONG OPPOSITION' TO THE BALLOT INITIATIVE... IT'S REASONING INCLUDES, NUMEROUS KNOWN HARMS FROM THE USE OF CANIBIS... AND, THE OVERSIGHT OF A STATE MARIJUANA PROGRAM GOES BEYONG THE DEPARTMENT'S CURRENT CAPACITY...JUST TO NAME A COUPLE... GOVERNOR PHIL BRYANT IS ALSO OPPOSED TO THE INITIATIVE... THE GOVERNOR SAYS IN PART ON FACEBOOK...WE NEED TO DEFEAT THIS PROPOSAL IN ITS CURRENT FORM... BUT SENATOR HORHN SAYS MEDICAL MARIJUANA MAY BE PART OF MISSISSIPPI'S FUTURE... AS WE ARE SEEING IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, UH...THE PEOPLE, THE CITIZENRY WANT TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA. UH, MEDICAL MARIJUANA IS PROBABLE A GOOD FIRST STEP FOR MISSISSIPPI...WE'LL SEE HOW IT WORKS SENATOR HORHN TELLS ME THAT EVEN WITH SUPPORT FOR MEDICAL MARIJUANA, ANY ADDITIONAL LEGALIZATION OF THE DRUG FOR RECREATIONAL USE, MIGHT TAKE SOME TIME...AS MISSISSIPPI IS HISTORICALLY LAST ON MANY ISSUES... PROHIBITION ENDED IN AMERICA IN 1933...MISISSIPPI ENFORCED STATEWIDE PROHIBITION UNTIL 1966 IN THE NEWSROOM, TROY JOHNSON 16 WAPT NEWS AT 10 GOVERNOR ELECT TATE REEVES RE

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