Regulations for a medical marijuana program in Mississippi will be in place by a July 1 deadline, members of the state Board of Health said Wednesday. But they cautioned that it’s unclear how soon marijuana might be available to patients.

Aug. 15 is the deadline for the state to begin issuing licenses for dispensaries and cards for patients.

“I worry that there’s a little bit of a misconception among some in the public about what that means,” board member Jim Perry said during a meeting Wednesday. “They may be expecting that on Aug. 15, that you can walk into a dispensary or treatment center, whatever the nomenclature may be, and say, ‘I got my card this morning. I’m here for my marijuana.’”

Perry said growing marijuana plants for the program could take months. He said people cannot grow plants before they get a license, and then regulators will need to test the medicinal strength of the plants.

“It could be months after Aug. 15 before there’s actually product at a treatment center for a cardholder to purchase,” Perry said.
The state health officer, Dr. Thomas Dobbs, said it could take six to nine weeks for growers to get viable plants for use in the program. He said the Health Department could try to “get a little ahead” of the July 1 and Aug. 15 deadlines. [Read more at Magnolia State Live]