BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) – Business owners on the coast from as far as six hours away with the hopes of getting an edge on their competition in what could be Mississippi’s next big industry by attending the Mississippi Marijuana Business Conference in Biloxi.
Many people, such as aspiring licensed cannabis dispenser Tommy Guillory, are doing what they can to get ready now while they wait for their licenses.
“We’re going to grow it, we’re going to process it, we’re going to package it, and we’ll sell it to the customers through our dispensaries.” said Guillory
He currently owns Hemp Boutique, focusing on CBD products. But his next move is joining Mississippi’s new medical marijuana industry.
“The facility that we’re looking at right now is 37 acres. It’s a little under 30,000 square foot. It will cost a little under five million dollars to break ground and get from conception to actual production.”
To gain more knowledge about the industry, Guillory attended the Mississippi Marijuana Business Conference, designed to educate cannibis entrepreneurs.
“Mississippi just started their medical cannibis program. The regulatons have just been announced. People are putting in their applications. At this conference, we have people who run brands, people who do consulting, people who can help you set your business up.”
The state health department anticipates that cannabis products will become available to patients in late 2022, allowing time for cultivation of marijuana in the state and required safety testing.
“I just think everyone should remain open-minded. For the longest time, cannibis laws were used in a racist way, and it’s nice to give people a chance. I think Mississppi is looking towards equity programs.”
As cannibis interest increases, Guillory says he’s hopeful the stigma will drop as more people take advantage of its many benefits.
“We have to understand that this plant has more benefits to the human body versus just getting you high.”
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