Mississippi Senate Passes Medical Cannabis Reform Bill with ‘Right to Try’ Provisions
- The Mississippi Senate approved a medical cannabis reform bill with ‘right to try’ provisions and program ID extensions, which now moves to Gov. Tate Reeves for final approval.
- The bill removes THC potency limits for tinctures, oils, and concentrates but maintains a 30% THC cap on flower products, allowing high-THC products like Rick Simpson Oil to be available medically.
- The final bill sets medical cannabis ID cards to be valid for one year (down from two years in the House draft) and increases caregiver background check requirements from one to two years.
- The Senate removed a House provision that aimed to extend caregiver ID card validity to five years.
The Mississippi Senate last week approved a medical cannabis reform bill that includes ‘right to try’ provisions and program ID extensions, WAPT reports. The measure had already been approved by the House and moves on to Gov. Tate Reeves (R) for final approval.
The legislation also removes the THC potency limits for tinctures, oils, and concentrates available via the medical cannabis program. THC caps on flower available through the program remains capped at 30%. Removal of this cap will allow high-THC products, such as Rick Simpson Oil, to be available via the medical cannabis program for the first time.
The final version of the bill allows medical cannabis ID cards to remain valid for one year as opposed to the two years included in the draft approved by the House. The proposal increases the background check requirements for caregivers from one to two years but keeps in place requirements that registered patients follow up with their medical provider every six months but allows providers to adjust that timeline based on individual patient needs.
The original version of the bill, which was passed by the House, sought to increase the caregiver ID card validation window to five years, but that provision was removed by the Senate.