How to apply for a medical marijuana dispensary license in Mississippi
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Robert White hoped that Robert’s Apothecary could be the first pharmacy in Columbus to dispense medical marijuana.
“We’ve had a lot of people asking if we were going to be able to supply them with medical marijuana when it became available,” he says. “And we thought we were, until I called the State Board of Pharmacy.”
White says that the Drug Enforcement Administration Controlled Substance license that he, and just about any retail pharmacy, needs to fill prescriptions, prevents that.
“The feds will not allow anyone that has a DEA license to dispense medical marijuana since it’s still classified at their level as a schedule one drug,” White says.
However, White doesn’t expect access to medical cannabis to be an issue.
“The vape shops, tobacco shops or others that are totally unrelated to that industry will apply,” he says.
Mississippi will begin accepting applications in June and start licensing dispensaries in July.
According to the Mississippi Department of Revenue, a business will need to pay a non-refundable $15,000 application fee and a $25, 000 annual license fee. That amounts to a $40,000 investment before they even open their doors.
But White says the need for medical cannabis across the state should be worth that investment.
“I’ve had 1,000s upon 1,000s of patients that have come in and bought the CBD and we have numerous different forms,” White says.
All owners of potential dispensaries must be 21 or older with no disqualifying felony convictions. The application must also include proof the dispensary is located in an area zoned for commercial business and is the proper distance from any school, church or another marijuana dispensary.
“I’m sure there will be plenty of dispensaries that open up and access probably will not be that limited,” White says. “And I know it’ll be a very lucrative business.”
Potential dispensary owners cannot be current members of the Mississippi Senate or House of Representatives and cannot have held a cannabis-related license that has been revoked.
