House Bill 179 Summary

• Establishes the Mississippi Medical Marijuana Pilot Program to allow qualifying patients with debilitating medical conditions (cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, seizures, ALS, Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis, intractable pain, and others) to use therapeutic marijuana under physician supervision.

• Creates a registration system administered by the State Department of Health that issues registry identification cards to qualifying patients and designated caregivers, limiting cardholders to 2.5 ounces of marijuana per 14-day period.

• Authorizes the department to register and regulate therapeutic marijuana dispensaries (beginning with 3 in 2018, expanding to 5 by 2020) and testing facilities to produce and provide marijuana to registered patients.

• Provides legal protections for registered patients, caregivers, physicians, and marijuana establishments from arrest, prosecution, and property seizure when acting in compliance with the program.

• Repeals the act five years after the first dispensary begins operating; amends existing controlled substances laws to exclude medical marijuana activities from criminal penalties.