Mississippi Bans Marijuana Policy Project From Fundraising

The chances for medical cannabis legalization in Mississippi have suffered a potentially large setback.

Local government officials have reportedly decided to ban the Marijuana Policy Project from fundraising in the state because the organization’s executive director – Rob Kampia – is a convicted felon.

Kampia was convicted of illegally growing marijuana for personal use in 1989 while in college and served three months in prison.

In an email to supporters, Kampia noted that MPP has suffered other instances of discrimination. Many landlords won’t lease office space to MPP, the IRS has audited the group twice, and the organization can’t get a line of credit from its bank.

In 2014, Mississippi passed a law allowing for the use of CBD medicine derived from marijuana, and at least one campaign is attempting to legalize rec and MMJ via the ballot next year, though it’s a long shot.

The state is also home to the University of Mississippi, the one entity in the United States allowed to produce federally legal marijuana. The cannabis grown at the school is provided to researchers who must wait years for permission and to a handful of patients around the country, according to MPP.