JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Businesses are opening in the City of Jackson in hopes of supporting Mississippi’s emerging medical marijuana industry.
On June 1, registration began through the Mississippi State Department of Health website for the medical cannabis program.
The number of registrants continues to grow.
I am here at Grow Generation. It’s a one-stop shop for all your growing needs. They sell everything from soil to some nutrients to all the things you need to control your indoor growing environment. The owners say they wanted to make this investment because they believe it will be a win-win for the state, the city, and cannabis patients.
The sound of unpacking and stacking could be heard inside Grow Generation on Industrial Drive in Jackson.
We have a 40-thousand-square-foot facility servicing all your hydroponic needs,” said David Dudley with Grow Generation.
The company is the largest hydroponic supplier in the US, and it’s the first superstore in Mississippi ready to support cannabis cultivation, processing, and testing facilities.
“We just want to make sure all the patients and taking care of the dispensaries and grows that supply them have all they need to take care of the patients,” said Dudley. “That is essentially what we’re going for.”
Melvin Robinson is with the Mississippi Cannabis Trade Association.
He points out there are a lot of economic benefits to the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Program, as well as companies like Grow Generation moving to town.
“We had about 30 areas to opt-out, and that’s unfortunate, but you have different places like Biloxi,” said Robinson. “You have different places like Jackson that are really investing in making sure this program goes on without a hitch and making sure we can have a very robust program. Also, making sure that we can reach patients that need this medicine and businesses can make some money.
Earlier this month, The Mississippi State Department of Health began the online application process for doctors, practitioners, patients, caregivers, and businesses.
“We have dozens of companies that have already submitted for licensing, thousands of patients that have pre-registered to get their patient card, so I think the program is going pretty smooth right now,” Robinson said. “We always tell people to be patient because everyone is new to this. Right now, we haven’t had any hiccups. I think the program can be as good as it be.”
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