Senate Bill 2169 Summary

• Revises penalties for sale and possession of controlled substances in Mississippi, creating tiered penalties based on drug type and quantity, with specific thresholds for Schedules I-V and marijuana/synthetic cannabinoids.

• Establishes separate penalty tiers for marijuana and synthetic cannabinoids possession, ranging from $100-$250 fines for 30 grams or less of marijuana, up to 10-30 years imprisonment for 5 kilograms or more.

• Adds mandatory fines of $5,000-$1,000,000 to trafficking and aggravated trafficking sentences, and allows courts discretion to reduce trafficking sentences to no less than 25% of prescribed term under specified circumstances.

• Creates the Mississippi Medical Emergency Good Samaritan Act, providing immunity from drug violation charges for individuals who seek medical assistance for overdose victims or who experience overdose while seeking help, limited to specific possession amounts and paraphernalia violations.

• Effective July 1, 2016.