Legislators discuss legalizing medical marijuana in effort to keep out of Constitution

By the time competing proposals to legalize medical marijuana appear on Mississippi’s November general election ballot, it could already be the law of the land – of the state anyway.

Earlier this year, legislators passed a medical marijuana alternative to put on the ballot alongside the citizen-sponsored initiative. Supporters of the citizen-sponsored initiative cried foul, saying the alternative was meant as a decoy to kill both by splitting the vote of those who support medical marijuana.

But Rep. Trey Lamar, R-Senatobia, the sponsor of the alternative, said he offered the alternative not because he opposed medical marijuana, but because the citizen-sponsored initiative did not provide enough regulation and oversight.

Now there is some talk in the Legislature of considering an effort to take up a bill that would be designed to change state law to legalize medical marijuana. Granted, passing such a bill this session would be a long shot at best. It would take a two-thirds vote in both chambers because the deadline has passed to consider such bills. [Read more at Sun Herald]