In 2009, a courageous legislator, Sen. Deborah Dawkins (D-Pass Christian), stepped up and introduced a medical marijuana bill, S.B. 3159, which would have authorized the medical use of marijuana for certain qualifying patients who have been diagnosed by a physician as having a debilitating medical condition. Unfortunately, the bill was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee and it remained there until the session adjourned. Let us hope that the bill will get additional legislative attention in 2010.

Interestingly,2008 marked the 30th anniversary of the federal government's little-known medical marijuana program, the Compassionate Investigational New Drug program, which is an offshoot of the federal government's Investigational New Drug program.

Each month, the federal authorities send four patients a tin canister filled with 300 pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes. The marijuana is grown at the University of Mississippi. If the federal government can grow medical marijuana for out-of-state patients in Mississippi, why can't Mississippi's seriously ill patients access the medicine they need?

Please send your state legislators an e-mail today letting them know that you hope to see more of an effort made during the 2010 session to provide medical marijuana patients with the protection they need.

Also, be sure to subscribe to MPP's free legislative alert service today if you haven't done so already.

Did you know Mississippi is a "decrim" state?

Mississippi is one of the 12 states that penalize the possession of a modest amount of marijuana with a fine instead of jail time. You can learn more about Mississippi's marijuana penalties and enforcement by reading this report by Jon Gettman, PhD.