Supreme Court declines to hear Mississippi dispensary owner’s appeal on marijuana advertising

By admin MS MMJ News May 5, 2025

The U.S. Supreme Court decided not to hear an appeal from a Mississippi dispensary owner fighting the state’s ban on advertising for medical marijuana.Clarence Cocroft, a dispensary owner in Olive Branch, Mississippi, argued that the state’s restriction on advertising medical marijuana in all forms of media violates his First Amendment rights.The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Cocroft in November, saying the First Amendment doesn’t cover the right to advertise something which is still illegal at the federal level even though nearly all states have legalized it in some form.Neighboring states Alabama, Arkansas, and Louisiana have similar restrictions on advertising for dispensaries.

WASHINGTON —

The U.S. Supreme Court decided not to hear an appeal from a Mississippi dispensary owner fighting the state’s ban on advertising for medical marijuana.

Clarence Cocroft, a dispensary owner in Olive Branch, Mississippi, argued that the state’s restriction on advertising medical marijuana in all forms of media violates his First Amendment rights.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Cocroft in November, saying the First Amendment doesn’t cover the right to advertise something which is still illegal at the federal level even though nearly all states have legalized it in some form.

Neighboring states Alabama, Arkansas, and Louisiana have similar restrictions on advertising for dispensaries.