A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the owner of a medical cannabis dispensary who sued Mississippi over state regulations that he says censor business owners by preventing them from advertising in most media.
In a Monday ruling, U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills said he agreed with Mississippi's argument that since the possession of cannabis remains illegal under federal law, it is not a "lawful activity" and, therefore, does not enjoy the constitutional protections granted to some forms of commercial speech.
After Mississippi legalized medical cannabis for people with debilitating conditions in 2022, Clarence Cocroft II opened Tru Source Medical Cannabis in Olive Branch, Mississippi. But he says he has struggled to reach customers because the state has banned medical cannabis businesses from advertising in any media.
Mills said unraveling Mississippi's restrictions on cannabis advertising would be a "drastic intrusion upon state sovereignty."
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