Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) vetoed it last week two laws that provided state law updates on medical cannabis. Together, the bills would have allowed ‘right to try’ provisions for patients and loosened rules on doctor visits. The reforms would also have eliminated THC caps on some medical cannabis products.

In his veto of the bill to loosen regulations and end some of the THC limits, Reeves said the legislation “seeks to erode three important safeguards” in state law “intended to minimize the potential diversion” of medical cannabis “for recreational purposes.”

“Requiring a mandatory six-month follow-up visit to ensure the patient is receiving a therapeutic benefit from the use of medical marijuana; requiring caregivers to pass an annual criminal background check; and limiting THC potency to 60% for oils and concentrates are reasonable and necessary checks and balances in the medical marijuana program and do not create barriers.” – Reeves in his the veto message

The vetoed bill was referred back to the House Committee on Business and Commerce

In his veto of the ‘right to try’ bill, Reeves said the bill would “extend the ‘right to try medical cannabis’ to every person on the planet”, which he opposes.

In the veto message, Reeves mentioned the concern of Dr. Daniel Edney, state health officer, who said the proposal “shifts the intent of the bill from giving Mississippians the ability to work with their treating physicians in dire situations when all other options have failed.”

“This policy position of the (Mississippi State Department of Health) was clearly communicated to leadership and the committee that we can only support this narrowly drafted and strict language,” the veto message said, citing Edney, “and will not support anything to make the program more outdoor fun. Unfortunately, the amended language distorts the intent of the bill’s original text.”

The vetoed bill returned to the House Public Health and Human Services Committee.

U.S. Representatives Troy Carter (D-LA) and Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) this week introduced the bipartisan Capital Lending and Investment for Marijuana Businesses (CLIMB) Act, which aims to give state-legal cannabis companies access to lending and investment opportunities available to other industries.

Most financial institutions are currently unwilling to serve the industry, as cannabis remains a federally prohibited, Schedule I substance.

But to Act of ASCENT would establish protections for private lenders to make loans and for government agencies, such as the Small Business Administration (SBA), or the Minority Business Development Association (MBDA), to provide grants to state-licensed cannabis companies.

“This legislation is an opportunity to bring equity and equal opportunity to our nation’s growing cannabis industry,” said Rep. Carter in one press release.

“Working directly with small, minority, and veteran-owned cannabis businesses, it’s clear that access to capital remains one of the biggest barriers to entry and success in the industry. By bringing symmetry to the business ecosystem with the CLIMB Act, we can help communities that have long been harmed by the criminalization of marijuana—and that’s all leaders in American business.” – Carter, in a statement

Saphira Galoob, CEO of the US Cannabis Roundtable, said the bill would “help unleash the full potential of the American cannabis industry” and ensure that “American cannabis businesses, workers and investors have the same opportunities and access to financial services as foreign competitors.”

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump issued an executive order last December directing federal agencies to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. Officials, however, have so far failed to implement the order.

Federal agencies initiated first rescheduling process in 2024 under then-President Joe Biden.