Mississippi became the 37th state to legalize cannabis use by medical patients when Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed a bill that went into effect immediately to make up for a delay caused by a court ruling, the Associated Press reports.
In November 2020, Mississippi voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot initiative that legalized medical cannabis, but the state supreme court threw out the results, saying the initiative process in the state is antiquated.
The legislature then took up a bill to legalize cannabis use by debilitating conditions such as cancer, AIDS and sickle cell disease, up to five ounces per month. On the day it passed by the state legislature, Reeves signed it. There are currently no dispensaries in the state licensed to sell in the state; the first ones could open in two months.