The Mississippi Supreme Court heard arguments this week challenging the state’s overwhelming vote in support of medical cannabis last November but advocates still have their high hopes. 

The Mississippi Cannabis Trade Association released a statement following Thursday’s oral arguments that would determine the industry’s fate. If the challenge is successful it would essentially nullify the election night win for compassion in Mississippi. 

Maine officially rolled out adult-use cannabis sales last October. Arizona, New Jersey, South Dakota, Montana, and Mississippi are all on track to open up shop soon, creating a greater likelihood that we'll see more cannabis dispensaries across the U.S. sooner rather than later. 

According to Zendesk's Customer Experience Trends Report 2020, "nearly three out of four customers (74 percent) feel loyal to a specific brand or company, and more than half (52 percent) will go out of their way to buy from their favorite brands or businesses."

“This shows what can happen when politics override the will of the people and causes a stalemate in the rollout of voter-favored programs,” says one industry expert.

Four of the five states that passed cannabis-centric ballot initiatives on Election Day 2020 have since run into hurdles.

The pathway from ballot question to implementation has only been smooth for one of the five states to pass measures recently — Arizona. Adult use sales began on Jan. 22, with many medical dispensaries expanding to adult use to accommodate the newly opened market.

The Copper State sets a new bar by opening its market just a couple months after passing an initiative. Lawmakers from the other four states, however, are stalling the process.

The state of Mississippi is set to roll out its medical marijuana program this summer.

The Mississippi State Department of Health, which is in charge of regulating the program, is currently building rules and a framework for the program. Those are scheduled to be released sometime in July, WJTV reported.

On August 15, licenses will be distributed and then the program will officially start.

Ken Newburger with the Mississippi Medical Marijuana Association told the news agency it was a smart move getting the health department to regulate the program.

Roughly five months. That is apparently when Mississippians can expect their newly approved medical marijuana program to begin to take shape.

Two months after voters in the Magnolia State approved a measure legalizing medical cannabis, officials in Mississippi are previewing what the program’s implementation will look like in the new year.

As a Mississippi mayor sues the state over medical cannabis, the attorney general of Mississippi, Lynn Fitch, as well as Secretary of State Michael Watson, are on the side of the medical initiative. This is surprising to many, as both Fitch and Watson are Republicans. 

Now that Mississippi has officially joined the ranks of U.S. states legally allowing medical cannabis, the next step is more cannabis legislation, as well as a thriving cannabis industry, so the state needs to be prepared. In order to help provide services for those next steps, Mississippi now has an official cannabis trade association. 

Prohibitionist forces in three states have filed lawsuits to block cannabis legalization initiatives that were approved by voters in this month’s election.

The Mississippi Department of Health has been working around the clock to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. Now, the agency will be responsible for starting a statewide medical marijuana program within the next nine months.

Uncertified election results show 74% of Mississippi voters approved the ballot measure that allows doctors to prescribe up to 5 ounces (142 grams) of marijuana per month for people who have at least one of more than 20 serious medical conditions.

“This vote shows minds are changing," said Jaqueline Temple Rudder, a homemaker from Madison County who lost her father-in-law to cancer and voted for Initiative 65. "We don’t want our sick suffering.”