Paperwork filed for ballot initiative seeking to legalize marijuana in Mississippi

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Mississippi voters approved medical marijuana last November. But a new ballot initiative seeks to legalize marijuana for more than medical use and without any red tape.

The first step in getting marijuana legalized in Mississippi will be signature collection. But that’s not happening just yet.

A mistake in the required public notice process delayed the timeline. But Dr. David Allen, who filed the paperwork, says he’ll shoot to get it on next year’s ballot.

“This initiative will end the drug war on cannabis,” said Allen. “Even if you don’t know this really complex science, when you use cannabis that doesn’t mean you’re not using it for medical use. So, all cannabis use is medical.”

The proposal would legalize everything from possession, to use and home growing (as long as it isn’t more than 99 plants).

“People will be able to grow a large amount of cannabis at their house,” explained Allen. “They can sell any excess they want. There will be a cannabis exchange. They can send it to the cannabis exchange. They charge 1% for doing their business and 7% for the sales tax and you get a check back from them.”

The owner at Hemp World CBD Dispensary in Pearl says she’ll make the signature collection sheets available to her customers when that step in the process comes but makes this note:

“I think it’s a little progressive from Mississippi but I do support it,” said owner DeAundrea Delaney. “I support any type of legalization for cannabis in any form.”

Delaney says the shop takes at least 20 calls a day with people asking about the status of the medical marijuana program and legalization as a whole.

“It’s going to happen eventually,” she said. “It’s going to happen. People are very adamant about cannabis legalization here in the state. Like I say all the time, there’s no gender gap, racial gap. There’s no red. There’s no blue. It’s just green. And everyone loves the green. Everyone loves cannabis.”

Initiative 77 would address many aspects of legalization including: ending cannabis arrests, allowing adults to legally use and posses all forms of the drug and expunging of cannabis-related crimes.

To read the full text of Initiative 77, click HERE.

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