BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) – Mississippi’s medical cannabis industry continued to expand in its fourth year, with state health department data showing increased patient participation and tax revenue growth.

State sales tax numbers from the medical marijuana industry increased by about half a million dollars over the previous year, according to Henry Crisler, executive director of the Mississippi Medical Marijuana Association.

Patient enrollment grew from about 50,000 in 2024 to around 66,000 last year. The program serves patients with chronic conditions and PTSD, among other qualifying conditions.

“I think we have a very robust patient-centric program here in Mississippi going into our fourth year,” Crisler said. “We have a lot of enthusiasm and excitement around this program, still four years into it, and patients are still learning about the program.”

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Traditional healthcare providers are becoming more accepting of medical cannabis treatments as years progress, Crisler said. He expects increased participation from traditional healthcare providers as the federal government recognizes medicinal benefits of cannabis through rescheduling.

The state currently has about 190 licensed dispensaries, with about 175 active. New licenses are often added, with an average of two to three new licenses approved each month.

The medical cannabis flower remains the most popular method of medicine for patients in Mississippi, according to the Department of Health’s report. The program offers pills, drinks, suppositories, lotions, ointments, and other ingestion methods for patients who prefer alternatives to traditional consumption.

While Crisler praised the progress, he added that there is still room grow.

He would like to see improved patient access. Crisler said the state has 34 counties without a licensed certifier within their county boundaries, creating access challenges for patient card renewals.

Mississippi remains the only medical cannabis program in the country with product potency limits, according to Crisler. The association would like to see statutory THC limits removed from the medical cannabis act to increase product variability and potentially reduce costs for patients.

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