MSDH Says Medical Marijuana Should Be Available Around January

By Alyssa Schnugg

News editor

alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

Patients who are waiting for medically prescribed marijuana could see product on shelves around the first of the year, according to the Mississippi State Department of Health.

On Thursday, MSDH updated media on the state’s new Medical Cannabis Program that voters approved about two years ago.

According to Kris Jones Adcock, director of the Medical Cannabis Program, 117 practitioners, 138 dispensaries, 47 cultivators, eight processors, three disposal companies and two testing labs have received six-month provisional licenses.

There have been 406 patients approved for the program thus far and 491 people have been approved for work permits, which will allow them to work in a medical cannabis-related business.

Adcock said medical cannabis should be available for dispensaries to begin selling the product in early 2023.

“It will be the end of the year or sometime around January before product is tested and available,” she said.

Locally in Oxford, five businesses have received a dispensary permit – two will be located on North Lamar Boulevard, two on West Jackson Avenue and one on Rickey Britt Drive.

The MSDH provides an online listing of approved dispensaries.

The MSDH does not list approved practitioners due to some physicians not wanting it to be publicized. However, the Mississippi Cannabis Patients Alliance does offer an online listing for people looking for licensed practitioners who have given permission to be on the website search function.

According to the MCPA list, there is one approved practitioner in Oxford at this time.