Medical marijuana initiative will likely be on Mississippi’s 2020 ballot, organizers say

An initiative to make the use of medical marijuana legal in Mississippi will most likely be on the ballot during the 2020 general elections.

Medical Marijuana 2020, organizers of the ballot initiative, said Sept. 5 it had delivered more than the required 86,000 signatures to the Mississippi Secretary of State. In fact, the group delivered more than 105,000 signatures.

Advocates say that marijuana can help ease symptoms of many illnesses including cancer, epilepsy and chronic pain, among others. The initiative would allow doctors to prescribe medical-grade marijuana and patients to get the product under as-yet-determined Mississippi Department of Health regulations. Use of marijuana in any form remains illegal in Mississippi today.

The Secretary of State’s office will review and certify the signatures delivered before filing the request with the Mississippi Legislature Jan. 7, 2020, the first day of its 2020 session.

As of January of this year, 33 states and the District of Columbia have legalized the use of medical marijuana.