BALLOT TITLE: Shall Mississippi establish a program to allow the medical use of marijuana products by qualified persons with debilitating conditions?
BALLOT SUMMARY: This constitutional amendment is proposed as a legislative alternative measure to Initiative No. 65 and would establish a program to allow the medical use of marijuana products by qualified person with debilitating medical conditions.
Introduced by: Representative John Thomas “Trey” Lamar and Representative Brent Powell
Legislative Budget Office Fiscal Analysis for Initiative 65A: The cost or revenue impact associated with this initiative is undeterminable.
Initiative 65A Full Text: NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That the following amendment to the Mississippi Constitution of 1890 is proposed to the qualified electors of the state at the November 2020 election, as an alternative to the amendment proposed by Initiative Measure No. 65:
Article 16, Section 290, Mississippi Constitution of 1890, is created to read as follows:
“Section 290. There is established a program in the State of Mississippi to allow the medical use of marijuana products by qualified persons. The program shall be structured to include, at a minimum, the following conditions and requirements:
- (a) The program shall be based on sound medical principles;
- (b) The program shall be administered by an appropriate state agency;
- (c) The administering state agency shall seek the input of health professionals to help design the program;
- (d) The program shall be limited to qualified persons with debilitating medical conditions as certified by health practitioners who are licensed under state law;
- (e) Marijuana products that are used by qualified persons in the program shall be of suitable pharmaceutical quality and prepared by state-licensed manufacturers;
- (f) Treatment of qualified persons in the program shall be carried out by physicians, nurses and pharmacists who are licensed under state law;
- (g) The program shall provide for limited categories of marijuana preparation of suitable and verified quality standards for oral administration;
- (h) The smoking of marijuana products shall be restricted to the treatment of qualified persons who have terminal medical conditions as certified by health practitioners who are licensed under state law;
- (i) The program shall provide for a limited number of state-licensed manufacturers of marijuana products;
- (j) The program shall have a patient registry for program enrollment, patient tracking, and treatment outcomes assessment; and
The program shall provide for reporting requirements that include research, analysis, and outcomes assessment.