A group in Mississippi, one of the country’s most conservative states, is aiming to put what looks to be a business-friendly medical marijuana initiative on the ballot in 2020.
Medical Marijuana 2020 plans to start collecting signatures next week, according to state Rep. Joel Bomgar, a Republican who is on the group’s steering committee.
The constitutional amendment calls for an open market, and key elements of the proposed Mississippi ballot initiative include:
- There are no caps on the number of licenses for dispensaries, which are referred to as medical marijuana treatment centers, or processors.
- Individuals and businesses could apply for different combinations of licenses, according to Bomgar.
- People with more than a dozen debilitating medical conditions would qualify for MMJ in the state, including chronic pain, opioid addiction, autism, post-traumatic stress disorder and cancer.
- The state would be required to put in place “reasonable” rules and regulations.
The steering committee has 60 members, including lawmakers, doctors, law enforcement officials and religious leaders.
“So many people in Mississippi have been touched by the issue,” Bomgar told Marijuana Business Daily. “Everyone knows someone who could have benefited from medical marijuana or is benefiting in another state.”
Bomgar has been outspoken about the nation’s opioid epidemic and the need for better management and treatment.
