Mississippi Overwhelmingly Approves Medical Cannabis Legalization

Mississippi opted to legalize medical cannabis on Election Day with more than two-thirds of voter support.

For voters, however, it was more complicated than just a yes or no question. Voters were faced with two questions on their ballots: whether medical cannabis should be legalized at all and, if it were legalized, which of two options — Amendment 65 and Amendment 65A — would be their preference. Amendment 65, which appeared on the ballot following a successful citizen-led petition drive earlier this year, establishes a comprehensive medical cannabis program that would allow doctors to prescribe cannabis for patients suffering from one of 22 qualifying conditions. Amendment 65A was offered later by lawmakers as a more-strict alternative.

Ultimately, voters overwhelmingly supported the activist-backed Amendment 65.

“It is great to see that the tides of change are continuing to flow across the country and now they have come to Mississippi. As we saw in Utah in 2018, and as we see in Mississippi this year, medical marijuana can pass in any state in the country.” — Steve Hawkins, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, in a statement

Mississippi was joined by South Dakota in legalizing medical cannabis this Election Day. Additionally, voters embraced adult-use cannabis legalization in New Jersey, Arizona, Montana, and South Dakota.