Mississippi Legislature Fails to Expand Cannabis Policy in 2025
Hopes for cannabis policy reform in Mississippi were high in 2025, but lawmakers failed to pass key legislation.
The medical cannabis program, implemented in 2023, now serves over 52,000 patients. However, an expansion bill (SB 2922) died in committee in 2024. Other bills addressing decriminalization, legalization, and expungement also failed.
Efforts to restore the ballot initiative process—which originally led to medical cannabis legalization—were blocked for the second year. A lawsuit may soon challenge the legislature’s failure to uphold the state Constitution.
Mississippi’s Path to Medical Cannabis
- Feb 2, 2022: Gov. Tate Reeves signed SB 2095, creating the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act.
- Nov 3, 2020: 69% of voters supported medical cannabis, but the state Supreme Court overturned the ballot initiative process.
- Jan 2023: First medical cannabis sales began.
Mississippi’s Decriminalization Status
Mississippi is a “decrim” state. First-time possession of 30 grams results in a $250 fine instead of jail time. However, paraphernalia possession is still criminalized with up to six months in jail.
Studies show Black Mississippians are 2.7 times more likely than white residents to be arrested for cannabis possession, despite similar usage rates.
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