As more states legalize medical and recreational marijuana use, it’s important to understand how the laws work in your area. Medical marijuana in Mississippi became legal after the state passed the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act in February 2022. Today, you can consult a doctor about your medical conditions to receive a medical card for purchasing cannabis products at a medical cannabis dispensary.
So, what government regulates this process to maintain resident safety, general quality control, and process consistency? At LeafMed, a leading Mississippi medical cannabis dispensary, we want to help residents understand how medical cannabis law works. Below, we discuss which organization is in charge of regulating medical marijuana in Mississippi and what duties that includes.
Mississippi State Department of Health Duties
The Mississippi State Department of Health (MDOH) oversees the state’s medical cannabis program, including all licensing, applications, regulations, laws, and more. A few of the organization’s primary duties include creating the medical card process qualifications, sale requirements, and regulatory duties.
Medical Marijuana Card Qualifications
The MDOH qualifications for a medical card include receiving a certification from an approved practitioner and paying the $25 registration fee for the medical card. To obtain certification from a healthcare professional, patients must have one of the following qualifying medical conditions:
- Chronic pain
- Parkinson’s disease
- Huntington’s disease
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Cancer
- Muscular dystrophy
- Spastic quadriplegia
- Glaucoma
- HIV or AIDS
- Hepatitis
- Crohn’s disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Alzheimer’s
- Sickle cell anemia
- Dementia
- Autism
- PTSD
- Opioid refractory pain
- Spinal cord disease
- Neuropathy
- Severe injury
To issue a certification to a patient for one of the above conditions, healthcare professionals must believe the patient may benefit from medical marijuana in Mississippi.
Licensed physicians, certified nurses, optometrists, and physician assistants may issue certificates after completing an in-person assessment with the patient and eight hours of continuing education (CE) courses on medical marijuana. Following the initial certificate issuing, practitioners must see the patient after six months for a follow-up visit and complete five more hours of CE courses each year.
Medical cards expire one year after the initial issuing date, typically requiring an additional exam for renewal. Anyone between 18 and 23 will need two endorsements from separate medical professionals working at different facilities to qualify for a medical card. The only exception is homebound patients that qualified before turning 18.
Purchase and Sale Requirements
MDOH monitors purchase and sale requirements using “Medical Cannabis Equivalency Units” (MCEUs) that include maximums of 3.5 grams of marijuana, 100 mg of THC in infused products, and one gram in concentrates. Following this model, patients and dispensaries must adhere to the following maximum purchase amounts:
- No more than six MCEUs per week (21 grams)
- No more than 24 MCEUs per month (84 grams)
- No more than 28 MCEUs in possession at any given time (98 grams)
- Maximum 30% THC content in flower
- Maximum 60% THC content in oils, concentrates, and tinctures
Dispensaries also must meet various requirements. For example, the staff must complete eight hours of training each year, obtain a work permit, and be over 21. All products have to include a “notice of harm” label without entertaining images like animals, cartoons, or toys.
Additional dispensary requirements include the following:
- Dispensaries must be over 1,000 feet from schools, churches, and childcare facilities.
- Each dispensary must be over 1,500 feet from other dispensary entrances.
- Dispensaries must use registered and secured facilities for harvesting, cultivating, and packaging.
- Organizations may not offer curbside pickup or delivery.
Additional Regulatory Duties
Aside from the regulations above, MDOH also controls legal protections, local bans and controls, taxation, fees, issuing timelines, and future bills surrounding medical marijuana in Mississippi. For more information, we recommend visiting the MDOH website.
Shop From LeafMed’s MDOH-Approved Facilities Today
After you get a medical marijuana card in Mississippi, you can shop from one of our MDOH-approved LeafMed facilities. We strictly adhere to all guidelines to keep you safe, prioritizing the quality and consistency of our products. Shop for medical marijuana in Mississippi with LeafMed, or contact us today to learn more.