Supreme Court turns away medical marijuana initiative

The Mississippi Supreme Court Friday struck down and overturned the medical marijuana initiative that passed a vote in the November general election.  

Justices ruled in a 6-3 decision that the initiative process is outdated and threw out the November vote, which passed Initiative 65 and voted back Initiative 65A. The alternative measure was more restrictive and put forward by the state Legislature about more than 100,000 signed petitions to place 65 on the ballot.  

Voters backed Initiative 65 with 73.7 percent of the vote in November.

The Supreme Court, by its decision on Friday, sided with Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler, who argued the initiative process was outdated and Initiative 65 should not have even been on the ballot. 

Justices heard the lawsuit Butler and other opponents of the medical marijuana initiative brought forward in April.  

You can read the complete ruling on the Mississippi Supreme Court website.  

The ruling indicates that legislators will need to more closely look at and reform the initiative process in the state. One of the contentions by those who brought the lawsuit was that the old rules were based on five Congressional districts instead of four. The petitions required the number of signatures come from five Congressional districts, which Butler said should have kept the initiative off the ballot.

State officials, such as Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley, have come out already saying that the state will need to look at that.

Mississippians deserve the right to DIRECTLY impact their state gov’t through the initiative and referendum process. Today’s ruling means we must all (Ds, Rs, Is) work hard to reform this process, based on the ruling, and ensure THE PEOPLE’S right to amend the state constitution.

— Brandon Presley (@BrandonPresley) May 14, 2021