RECOMMENDING CANNABIS IN MISSISSIPPI

Any physician who is licensed to practice medicine in Mississippi may issue a written order for CBD oil treatment to patients suffering with a debilitating epileptic condition or related illness.  The CBD oil must be administered by or under the direction or supervision of that physician.

A practitioner such as a physician (MD/DO), certified nurse practitioner, physician assistant or optometrist who is licensed to prescribe medicine under the licensing requirements of their respective occupational boards and the laws of the state may participate in the medical cannabis program. To register with the Department, practitioners must submit the following information:

  1. Evidence of unrestricted licensure in Mississippi by the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure; Mississippi State Board of Nursing; or Mississippi State Board of Optometry;
  2. Issue date and expiration date of licensure in Mississippi; 20
  3. Area of specialty;
  4. Physical address of practice;
  5. Current telephone number and email address;
  6. Evidence of completion of continuing medical education approved by the Department;
  7. A waiver, signed and dated by the practitioner, allowing, and authorizing the Department to fully communicate with the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure, Mississippi State Board of Nursing; or Mississippi State Board of Optometry and receive licensure information; and,
  8. If applicable, a disclosure that the applicant has a direct or indirect familial or financial relationship with or interest in a licensed entity participating in the medical cannabis program.

Practitioners must complete 8 hours of initial training related to the use of medical cannabis in order to enroll in the program. Annual training (5 hours) related to the use of medical cannabis must also be completed in order to annually renew participation in the program. All training must be approved by the Department. Failure to meet these training requirements will negatively impact a practitioner’s ability to participate in the Program.

Mississippi Medical Cannabis Registration

Qualifying Debilitating Medical Conditions include:

  • Cancer
  • Parkinson's disease
  • Huntington's disease
  • muscular dystrophy
  • glaucoma
  • spastic quadriplegia
  • positive status for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
  • acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
  • hepatitis
  • amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
  • Crohn's disease
  • ulcerative colitis
  • sickle-cell anemia
  • Alzheimer's disease
  • agitation of dementia
  • post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • autism
  • pain refractory to appropriate opioid management
  • diabetic/peripheral neuropathy
  • spinal cord disease or severe injury
  • A chronic terminal or debilitating disease or medical condition or its treatment that produces the following:
    • Cachexia (Wasting Syndrome)
    • Chronic pain
    • Severe or intractable nausea
    • Seizures
    • Severe and persistent muscle spasms including, but not limited to, those characteristic of multiple sclerosis

Medical professionals have a legal right to recommend cannabis as a treatment in any state, as protected by the First Amendment. Established by a 2004 United States Supreme Court decision to uphold earlier federal court rulings that found doctors and their patients have a fundamental Constitutional right to freely discuss treatment options.

More resources for medical professionals can be found here.