Legalizing Medical Marijuana to be on Mississippi November ballot

COLUMBUS, MISS. (WCBI) – It’s a stacked election year for Mississippi.

This November, Mississippians will vote on candidates for president, the U.S. House and Senate, the state flag, and legalizing medical marijuana.

Initiative 65 would legalize medical marijuana for 22 specific debilitating conditions, but the ballot may be a little confusing.

Initiative 65 will be paired with Alternative Measure 65-A introduced by state legislators.

Voters will be asked two questions. The first is whether or not to approve either initiative.

Then, voters will be asked to choose between Initiative 65 or 65-A.

Ken Newburger supports Initiative 65.

He says this Initiative lists specific qualifications for patients, and establishes a medical treatment center as the distributor, not local pharmacies.

“It’s just really important that our patients who are suffering from debilitating medical conditions see the same relief that 33 and a half million other Americans are seeing in other states,” said Newburger. “States with opioid use see a drastic reduction in opioid overdoses after medical marijuana is passed.”

Initiative 65 got on the November 3rd ballot because more than 200 thousand registered voters petitioned to put it there.