Over 17,000 patients across the Magnolia State are now in possession of a medical marijuana card, according to Mississippi Medical Marijuana Association Executive Director Ken Newburger.
Newburger revealed during an interview on The Gallo Show that the state’s total number of registrants has risen exponentially since the start of the year, with the amount of cardholders increasing by over 3,000 in June.
“We only had about 1,500 or so patients in January and as of today, we have 17,000,” Newburger explained. “A lot of it was a backlog but it was just that they had to come up with the right processes to quickly see and certify patients.”
Newburger stated that the influx of patients who are now able to use medical cannabis products has exploded over the past few months due to legislative action and work done through the Mississippi State Department of Health.
“I would say we should be able to see that maintain for probably another six or seven months,” Newburger said. “I don’t think it’s going to sustain itself for another year, but I think for another six or seven months.”
He also attributed the growing number of cardholders to family doctors who have become certified in being able to prescribe medical marijuana to only a few of their patients.
“More and more doctors are incorporating it into their standard practice. We’re hearing more and more that family doctors are starting to get their certifications really as a service to one or two patients to find out if it’s good for them,” Newburger said. “That’s really what we hoped would happen is that it wouldn’t just be specialized doctors, but it would be more physicians that are trying to make it part of what they offer.”
At this time, Newburger is expecting approximately 150,000 residents throughout the state to receive a medical marijuana card in the next few years before numbers begin to taper off.
“The forecast is a little over three, almost three and a half percent is what we anticipate,” Newburger added. “People will fall off. They decide it’s not for them or it’s not working or something, that they might not use it.”
To see the full interview, continue watching below.
