First sales of medical marijuana made in Mississippi

State Rep. Yancey says a safer, better alternative to opioids has finally been made available in the Magnolia State.

The first sales of legal medical marijuana were made on Wednesday in Mississippi. Three different purchases were made – one in Brookhaven and two in Oxford.

The Cannabis Company, which is owned by Le Anne Penn and Mitch Parker, made the first sale to Debbie McDermott. She is credited as the first person in the state to legally buy marijuana. McDermott placed her order but was delayed on receiving her prescription due to a point-of-sale issue with METRC, a national company that tracks cannabis from seed to sale.

“It is a great honor for us to have completed the first medical cannabis sale in Mississippi,” said Le Anne Penn, Co-owner of the Cannabis Company. “Although the journey has been a long one, we are overjoyed that the residents of Brookhaven will now have access to a natural and alternative medicine option.”

The Cannabis Company is supplied by Mockingbird Cannabis in Raymond, Mississippi.

“Yesterday, a safer, better alternative to opioids was finally made available to those qualified patients with debilitating conditions,” said Rep. Lee Yancy, a leader for the Legislation in the House. “The road to legal medical cannabis has been a long one but has come to fruition. I look forward to continuing to shape this program so that it is properly regulated and as safe as possible for the patients.”

The two dispensaries in Oxford followed, with sales on Wednesday at Hybrid Relief and Starbuds.

The sales have been a long time in the making, according to Ken Newburger with the Mississippi Medical Marijuana Association.

“We have been working since 2018 to get medical marijuana in the hands of patients in Mississippi, and it’s surreal to see it finally come to fruition,” said Newburger, 3MA Executive Director. “This is only the beginning. More and more businesses will be harvesting, testing, and getting their products on the shelves in the coming months; therefore, more patients will have access to this medicine at certified businesses all across the state.”

Patients are required by law to meet with a physician, nurse practitioner or optometrist that is participating in the medical marijuana program in order to be approved to purchase medical marijuana. That approval depends on whether or not they have a qualified medical condition covered by the state’s program. The patients must then register with the program and will receive a medical marijuana card.

The medical marijuana program was established in 2022 by the Mississippi Legislature. The overseeing agency is the Mississippi State Department of Health. MSDH established the guidelines for the program.

“Yesterday marked a unique moment in MS history when the state had its first medical cannabis sales. While there is still a lot to be done with the program I want to give a shout out to the Department of Health and to DOR for getting the program up and running in such a short time frame,” said Sen. Blackwell who authored the bill to create the program. “Hopefully patients can now get relief from their ailment that have not been remedied by traditional pharmaceuticals. Moving forward we need to continue to focus on patient safety, maintaining and enforcing our seed to sale tracking system, and expanding the diagnoses for which patients can receive recommendations for medical cannabis.”

The legislation not only allows the sale of medical marijuana, but the growing and distribution for the product in the state. Growers and dispensaries are certified through MSDH. The Department of Revenue also plays a part in the program, as sales tax is collected on the product.

In Mississippi, if an individual suffers from one of the following conditions, they are eligible for the medical marijuana card:

Cancer, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, muscular dystrophy, glaucoma, spastic quadriplegia, HIV, AIDS, hepatitis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, sickle cell anemia, Alzheimer’s, agitation of dementia, PTSD, autism, pain refractory to opioid management, diabetic/peripheral neuropathy, spinal cord disease, or severe injury; chronic medical treatment that causes cachexia or wasting, severe nausea, seizures, severe and persistent muscle spasms, or chronic pain.

For more information on participation in the state’s program visit MSDH.