Mississippi House Passes Medical Cannabis Reforms Including ID Extensions, ‘Right to Try’ Provisions

Mississippi’s House this week passed a bill to extend the timeframe for medical cannabis patients to keep their program IDs valid, and another allowing the ‘right to try’ medical cannabis for patients who are suffering from debilitating medical conditions that are not included on the state’s qualifying conditions list, the Magnolia Tribune reports. The bill extending the life of a medical cannabis program ID card extends the validity period of the certification from one to two years.  

Under current law, patients are required to make a 6-month follow-up visit with their provider, but the bill would eliminate those requirements if it becomes law. 

Republican state Rep. Lee Yancey, the bill’s sponsor, told the Tribune that the bill “can still require the patient to come back as often as necessary” but removes the “mandatory” language included in the current law. 

The bill also increases the resident-designated caregiver’s validity to fill medical cannabis recommendations for those they care for to up to five years.  

“These are folks who are caring for someone who cannot or is not able to come to the dispensary themselves. Currently, they had to get a background check and they’re having to get a card every year, where the background is lasting a lot longer than the card. This makes it consistent.” — Yancey to the Tribune 

The bill passed the House with a vote of 98-11. 

Yancey was also the author of the ‘right to try’ legislation, which would create a petition system for potential patients through the Mississippi State Department of Health on a case-by-case basis.  

“They would have had to have tried everything else. There would have to be documented evidence of everything that they’ve tried,” Yancey told the Tribune. “And the state health officer could allow, on a case-by-case basis, this one individual to try medical cannabis. And it would not open the door for any other person; it’s just on a case-by-case basis.” 

The proposal would require these patients undergo a re-evaluation every year. 

The bill passed the House 104-7. 

Both bills move next to the Senate for consideration.