Clinton aldermen opt out of medical cannabis business
By Randy Bell
On Tuesday, April 5, Clinton became the latest city in Mississippi to decide not to participate in the medical cannabis business. The Board of Aldermen voted 5-to-2 to opt out of the portion of the new state law allowing medical cannabis businesses within the city limits, although it could later change its mind. On the other hand, “If we don’t opt out now, we couldn’t opt out ever,” said Ward 4 Alderman Chip Wilbanks.
Even though Mississippians voted overwhelmingly in 2020 to approve a medical marijuana initiative that was later overturned on a technicality, Wilbanks says he is glad the City is waiting for the State Department of Health to release the rules and regulations that’ll guide the new program.
“I still believe that most of the people, like myself, who voted for medical marijuana [in 2020] would rather us spend some time in looking at the rules and regulations and do this smartly and thoughtfully,” said Wilbanks.
Alderwoman-at-Large Ricki Garrett voted against opting out.
“It’s unfair to the citizens [of Clinton] who’ve already voted 70.5 per cent in favor of medical marijuana to disenfranchise them, basically,” she said. “There’s already frustration that their initiative vote was taken away.”
City voters may ultimately determine the fate of medical marijuana in Clinton. A petition drive could put the issue on the ballot later this year.
“You’re going to spend $20,000 to $30,000 on an election that you already know what the outcome will be,” Garrett said.
And she said she doesn’t see a reason for waiting on those Health Department regulations.
“We already know a great deal about what those regulations are going to be. So, I think this is maybe just a smokescreen to permanently opt out.”
Mayor Phil Fisher has made it clear he would veto a Board vote to opt back in. He says he doesn’t believe medical cannabis will be the revenue generator that it’s cracked up to be.
“As big an advocate of economic development as I am, not all economic development is good,” said Fisher. He says $1 million in medical marijuana sales would produce less than $13,000 in local taxes. “That won’t buy a third of a police officer. That won’t employ a third of a firefighter.” And the mayor says Clinton historically has given a ten-year tax break to companies operating in the city’s industrial park, like the proposed medical cannabis cultivation and processing facility which could locate in a warehouse there.
“Financially, I don’t know that it’s that great a deal,” Fisher said.
It’ll take the signatures of 1,500 registered voters in Clinton to put medical cannabis on the ballot. If the petitions are certified, the City would have to set the election within sixty days.
