Though the deadline for Mississippi communities to pass on allowing certain types of medical marijuana businesses to operate within their jurisdictions is fast approaching, Hattiesburg officials don’t plan to be on that list.
“We have no intentions of opting out,” said Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker. “No council member has given any indication that that’s a move they want to make.”
Cities and counties have until the first week of May to finalize decisions on whether they will allow dispensaries, cultivators and processing facilities to operate in their jurisdictions.
Surrounding areas, including Madison, Brandon, Ridgeland, Pass Christian and Gluckstadt are among Mississippi communities that have already opted out. Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins-Butler cited concerns over zoning and “increased danger to (Madison) first responders” among the reasons for opting out.
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“While I certainly understand some concerns, these facilities, they’re extremely regulated, and a lot of people in our community voted to support that medical marijuana initiative, and I think there are a lot of people who will benefit from it,” Barker said.
Barker said the city is working to determine how dispensaries and other medical marijuana-related facilities will be incorporated into the land code, and a draft of the changes will be available within the next month.
According to the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act, cannabis establishments cannot be located within 1,000 feet of any school, church or childcare facility unless it has received a waiver.
By June, the state Department of Health plans to begin accepting license applications for patients, medical practitioners, cannabis cultivation facilities, cannabis processing facilities, cannabis testing facilities, cannabis waste disposal entities and cannabis transportation entities.
Once the application process begins, there will be a 30-day approval time for licensure applications and a five-day approval time for program patients.
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“I think there are a lot of people who deal with some really tough illnesses, and if they can have another option other than more opioids, it might give them some relief and add some quality of life. I think that’s worth moving forward on,” Barker said.
A full list of qualifying conditions can be found on the state Department of Health website.
Contact reporter Laurel Thrailkill at lthrailkill@gannett.com or on Twitter.
