Pass Christian is now the first city on the Mississippi Gulf Coast to opt out of the state’s medical marijuana program.
The Board of Aldermen decided Tuesday to opt out of the cultivation, processing, and sale or distribution of medical cannabis, saying it’s too early to opt-in. City leaders expressed a desire to see how other municipalities deal with the program before taking part.
City leaders in Ridgeland are also opting out. Their decision Tuesday means there won’t be any facilities for growing or selling in the Jackson suburb for now.
A provision in the recently passed medical marijuana legislation allows counties and municipalities to opt out within three months of when the bill was signed into law on February 2. Residents can petition for an election to overrule those decisions if they choose.
Even if a city remains opted out, residents with prescriptions would still be able to purchase and use medical cannabis. They would just have to purchase it in a city that opts in.
