MS Supreme Court hears arguments on constitutionality of Medical Marijuana Initiative 65 [View all]

The Mississippi Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday regarding the validity of Initiative 65, the medical marijuana initiative. The initiative was passed on the 2020 ballot by over 70 percent of Mississippi’s residents.

Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler of Madison filed a petition challenging the process by which the initiative was placed before voters on the ballot. It named Secretary of State Michael Watson in his official capacity.

In court on Wednesday, Attorney Kaytie Pickett argued that the certification of the initiative was not done correctly by then-Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann.

The petitioners team argued that one fifth of the vote from each congressional district as laid out currently in Mississippi’s constitution would not be adequate because it would only encompass 80 percent of the voters across the state. That is because Mississippi’s code still recognizes five congressional districts even though there are only four members of Congress.

Read more: https://yallpolitics.com/2021/04/14/ms-supreme-court-hears-arguments-on-constitutionality-of-medical-marijuana-initiative-65/