First legal cannabis in Mississippi hits shelves in Oxford

Published 5:00 pm Wednesday, January 25, 2023

The first legal purchase of cannabis in the state of Mississippi was made in Oxford on Thursday as dispensaries finally put products on shelves following years of organizing and campaigning.

Voters passed Initiative 65 back in November 2020, but the Mississippi Supreme Court struck down the program on the grounds that the state’s ballot initiative process was “unworkable and inoperative.”

After two more years of campaigning from advocates, the first shipments of legal medical cannabis made their way to two dispensaries in Oxford on Wednesday.

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Star Buds, located at 1319 N Lamar Blvd., and Hybrid Relief, located at 1801 Jackson Ave. W Suite 112D, received shipments of cannabis flower from Good Day Farm early Wednesday afternoon and quickly got to work putting products on shelves.

“We’re beyond excited to have some of the first product in Mississippi delivered,” said Star Buds director of operations Doug Stout. “We’re super excited to get quality medicine into patients’ hands at an affordable price right off the get-go.”

The first purchase of legal medical cannabis in the state was completed just after 3 p.m. on Wednesday at Hybrid Relief.

Tony Barragan, the founder and owner of Hybrid Relief, said the dispensary is currently only selling cannabis flower, with other products such as topicals, gel caps, edibles and concentrates expected to hit shelves in the coming weeks.

Barragan is also working on the establishment of a cultivation facility in Batesville that will provide unique products exclusive to Hybrid Relief.

The facility is still under construction, but Barragan said he is confident that they will be able to put seeds in the ground in at least two grow rooms as soon as March.

Mississippi residents can apply for a medical marijuana card here.