The ballot initiative could make Mississippi the 34th state in the country with medical marijuana.
The state Board of Health, which would be tasked with regulating the program, approved a resolution to express their "strong opposition to the ballot initiative."
The resolution said that, "there are numerous known harms from the use of cannabis products including addiction, mental illness, increased accidents, and smoking related harms...the proposed amendment to the Mississippi State Constitution amendment would allow the use of marijuana for a very broad number of medical indications...the consumption of any combustible inhaled product is harmful to individual health...routine marijuana consumption has numerous known harms and is contrary to the mission of public health."
The Board also said that this program would expand their department beyond capacity and harm its function.
Gov. Phil Bryant, who has been a vocal opponent of the initiative since day one, also weighed in:
If a majority support the initiative, medical marijuana will become legal in the state within a year.