The Mississippi State Department of Health announced on Facebook that they have begun the preliminary stages of implementing a medical marijuana program in the state, as issued in Initiative 65.
MSDH is now in the planning stages of the many elements needed to implement a successful medical marijuana program for…
Posted by Mississippi State Department of Health on Thursday, November 5, 2020
MSDH called the timeframe of August 15, 2021 for the program to be active “aggressive” and State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs has been on the record about his opposition to this particular program.
“Please understand that if we vote for Initiative 65 we are going to put all of these tenants in the Constitution and they cannot be changed or controlled by the Department of Health which would be the agency responsible for administering the details, nor could the Legislature,” said Dobbs in an interview prior to the initiative passing.
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Dobbs also showed concern for the agency’s capacity to handle the program while in the middle of a pandemic and gearing up what he called the most “ambitious immunization program that the world has ever seen.”
According to the post, MSDH has been researching the project over the last several months.
“Regulations for all aspects of the program, including production and licensing for sale, must be in place by July 1, 2021,” MSDH said. “As we make progress we will keep the public fully informed, and ask for your patience as we develop the necessary plans to go forward late next summer.”