Governor Signs Medical Cannabis Bill

Thursday, February 10, 2022 | 0

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves on Wednesday signed a bill that would permit the use of medical marijuana but would not require insurers to pay for it.

The signing of SB 2095, by Sen. Kevin Blackwell, R-Southaven, makes Mississippi the 37th state to permit the use of medical cannabis under certain conditions. The law authorizes its use for “certain patients who have debilitating medical conditions,” including “chronic pain.”

The Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act permits the use of medical marijuana for more than a dozen conditions including cancer. It defines chronic pain as “a pain state in which the cause of the pain cannot be removed or otherwise treated, and which in the generally accepted course of medical practice, no relief or cure of the cause of the pain is possible, or none has been found after reasonable efforts by a practitioner.”

The act also states that “nothing … requires a government medical assistance program or private insurer to reimburse a person for costs associated with the medical use of medical cannabis.”

The 445-page law also details a host of regulations for dispensaries.

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