Clock ticks on Supervisors' decision related to marijuana act

During its past two business meetings, Franklin County’s Board of Supervisors has weighed the pros and cons of opting out of allowing the cultivation, processing, sale and distribution of medical cannabis and associated products locally.

Board attorney Bill Halford said counties and municipalities each have the chance to opt out within a 90-day window, which began on Feb. 2 when Mississippi’s Medical Cannabis Act was signed into law.

If a local jurisdiction does not opt out by then, it is included and cannot opt out at a later date. However, those areas who opt out now can opt back in at any time in the future.

Franklin County resident Hilda Peeler raised concerns about the effects allowing medical marijuana to be grown and sold would have on local law enforcement.

“In the long run, you yourself know the sheriff’s office is going to be affected because they’re going to be following all of these little problems that crop up,” Peeler said at the board’s March 21 meeting.

Franklin County Sheriff Tom Tindle raised similar concerns at the previous board meeting.

“When I went to college, Ole Miss grew it and (people) broke into that once a month, and they’ve got police force everywhere,” he said. “We can’t protect it. They had cameras and guards and everything else.”

The Medical Cannabis Act permits the use of marijuana in Mississippi to treat a list of debilitating health conditions such as such as cancer, seizures and chronic pain.

No decision has been made thus far with supervisors having until Tuesday, May 3 to decide on the issue.

In other action during the supervisors’ March 21 meeting, the panel:

• Voted to renew the county’s general insurance policy provided through the Mississippi Association of Supervisors Insurance Trust at a cost of $241,257.05.

• Accepted, as presented, the third quarter budget allocations for the Tax Assessor-Collector’s office and the Sheriff’s office.

• Approved the distribution of 2021 rail car taxes in Franklin County as follows: District 1 — $5,346.28; District 2 — $46,688.66; District 3 — $3,048.88; District 4 — $40,483.60; Town of Roxie — $3,081.09; Town of Meadville — $2,157.84; and Town of Bude — $6,548.73.

District 5 does not receive any of the funds as no railways are located in that area.

• Approved paying $2,572 in engineering fees to WGK Inc. for services rendered on Project EFLH-0019(10)B, which will involve the placement of a box culvert on Providence Road.

• Received a letter from the office of State Aid Road Construction releasing W.E. Blain & Sons Inc., from further responsibility on completed State Aid Project-19(70) — a slide repair on Berrytown Road.

The board will hold its next business meeting at 9 a.m., Monday, April 4 with a final public hearing on county redistricting set for 2 p.m. the same day.