BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) – By the end of 2022, medical marijuana should be available to patients in Mississippi. That’s the optimistic projection of Ken Newburger, Executive Director of the Mississippi Medical Marijuana Association.
Newburger joined David Elliott on WLOX News This Week to give an update on how setting up this new industry is going across the state. He was excited to report that things have been progressing pretty smoothly in Mississippi, especially in comparison to other states.
“Most states, when programs like this open, have a very adversarial approach to the cannabis industry. Our state has been very helpful,” Newburger said. “It’s been a nice, collaborative process between the Department of Health, the Department of Revenue, and the industry at large.”
He said most dispensary applicants are getting licensed. And those who aren’t just aren’t compliant with the law yet.
“The Department of Health and the Department of Revenue have been very clear about ‘here are your insufficiencies in what you’re doing, and here’s how to fix them.’ So if you do want to participate in this business, they are telling you how to become compliant and legal actors, which is really refreshing to see.”
Newburger said just over 100 medical marijuana dispensaries have been licensed across the state, as of mid-August. Locations are mostly in the larger population hubs of Jackson, the Coast, Meridian, Tupelo, and DeSoto County. Most of the grow facilities are popping up near Jackson, Hattiesburg, and the northeastern part of the state.
“I think we’ll see people purchasing in late-November, early-December,” Newburger said. “I was a little bullish about it for a while, but I think with the state of testing in Mississippi it won’t be until November or December.”
Watch Ken Newburger’s full conversation with David Elliott in this segment of WLOX News This Week.
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