Photo Courtesy of the Pascagoula-Gautier School District.
Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann urged lawmakers to have an organized and timely approach to a potential special session if called by the Governor to work out medical marijuana program.
Mississippi officials have spoken out this week on what they think they process should look like to re-implement a medical marijuana program in Mississippi since the Supreme Court overturned Initiative 65.
Lt. Governor Hosemann spoke to reporters today saying that he is supportive of a special session if the Governor chooses to call one, but believes it needs to be done so in an organized fashion to minimize cost to tax payers.
However, he said he has not been in conversation with the Governor about whether or not a special session will become a reality.
“Citizen-driven ballot initiatives are an important part of policy-making, and I support reenacting the ballot initiative process. I also support a medical marijuana program, as evidenced by the Senate twice passing back-stop legislation which did not survive in the House,” said Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann. “We are in the process of talking to Senators about the Supreme Court ruling as it relates to both issues and how to proceed.”
Hosemann was very clear that these are two separate issues: a medical marijuana program and rectifying the initiative process in Mississippi. He said he is wary that a special session would be necessary to fix the initiative process since those issues do not have to be resolved until the November 2022 general election ballot.
He did say, he would like to get the medical marijuana program process started.
“There are people that have needs for this, it is medical marijuana. Obviously, if we had listened to the Senate about this the first time we wouldn’t be talking today,” said Hosemann. Therefore, a special session in regard to that may be warranted.
Hosemann did not indicate any need for legislative action necessary for previous initiatives in past years.
Sarah Ulmer
