Mississippi Committee Approves Right to Try Medical Cannabis Act

OG article by Anthony Martinelli

January 30, 2026

Mississippi's House Public Health and Human Welfare Committee approved House Bill 1152, the Right to Try Medical Cannabis Act, sponsored by Rep. Lee Yancey (R). The bill creates a petition pathway for patients with chronic, progressive, severely disabling, or terminal illnesses not on the state's current qualifying conditions list to access medical marijuana. Treating providers (physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants) submit petitions to the Department of Health detailing diagnosis, prognosis, treatment history, and potential benefits. The State Health Officer decides within 45 days; approvals grant registry card eligibility under existing rules, with possible limits on type, form, or volume for safety. Decisions are final and unappealable in court. Good-faith providers gain liability protection; patients require annual reevaluations. The Department must report annually on petitions, approvals, illness categories, and safety trends. If passed, the act takes effect July 1, 2026, expanding access for seriously ill patients when other treatments fail.