Mississippi Medical Marijuana Application Portal Gets Huge Influx of Registrations in the First Week
Even though officials in Mississippi only launched the application portal barely a week ago, they have already seen over 1,800 people register for online accounts to apply for medical marijuana licenses. Officials and industry leaders don’t anticipate products being available for about another six months. Of the registrations, about 85 percent were from people seeking to become medical cannabis patients. Additionally, 15 businesses and nine medical practitioners completed the application process. The portal is the first step for those seeking to gain access to medical marijuana or become certified providers, as well as for those who wish to grow, process, or test medical cannabis. However, the portal will not process applications for those that want to open dispensaries. Those applications will be handled by the state Department of Revenue beginning July 1st.
Five Texas Cities Will Vote on Marijuana Decriminalization this November
Activists in Texas announced that they have enough signatures to put a marijuana decriminalization initiative on the ballot for Harker Heights. As of now, that makes the fifth city in Texas that will see a question about marijuana reform on the ballot this November. To get their measure on the ballot, advocates with Ground Game Texas had to collect signatures from more than 25 percent of registered voters in the Harker Heights area to qualify for the ballot. If passed, the Harker Heights Freedom Act would bar law enforcement from issuing citations or making arrests for Class A or Class B misdemeanor marijuana possession. The measure would also prevent police officers from using the smell of cannabis as a probable cause for a search.
Lawmakers in Louisiana Pass Bill to Expand Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
Louisiana lawmakers passed a bill that would expand the number of medical marijuana dispensaries in the state, from nine to 30 over time. The need for expansion comes after the introduction of smokable flower this year as well as an increase in the number of registered patients. House Bill 697 would allow current medical marijuana operators to open another dispensary in the same geographic area after reaching 3,500 active patients. A second satellite location could be opened once an operator gets an additional 3,500 active patients. The bill caps the total number of dispensaries throughout the state at 30.
