Oxford Business Owner Reacts to Medical Marijuana Passage

By Dayna Drake
HottyToddy intern
hottytoddynews@gmail.com

Mississippi voters said yes on November 3 to Initiative 65. This initiative adds Mississippi to a list of 34 other states that already have medical marijuana programs.

Tony Barragan, owner of Hemp Ville CBD in Oxford, had nothing but praise following this passing.

“I’m glad that the people came out and supported the right initiative and made the right choice,” Barragan said.

Although Hemp Ville CBD is not able to sell medical marijuana right now, Barragan is hoping that his shop can become a medical marijuana dispensary.

“I’ve been working with them for quite some time, getting all the signatures, getting it on the ballot… we’re definitely interested in becoming one of the first people to open a dispensary in the area,” Barragan said.

Patients will have to be certified by a physician that they qualify for a medical marijuana card. There are 22 qualifying medical conditions, including the following:

• Cancer
• Epilepsy or other seizures
• Parkinson’s disease
• Huntington’s disease
• Muscular dystrophy
• Multiple sclerosis
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Positive status for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
• Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) 
• Chronic or debilitating pain
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
• Glaucoma
• Agitation of dementias
• Crohn’s disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Sickle-cell anemia
• Autism with aggressive or self-injurious behaviors
• Pain refractory to appropriate opioid management
• Spinal cord disease or severe injury
• Intractable nausea
• Severe muscle spasticity

Initiative 65 requires a medical marijuana program to be in effect by August 2021.