Mississippi started the year by beginning medical cannabis sales in dispensaries across the state. Medical cannabis was legalized in 2022 and Mississippi officially became the 37th US state to establish a medical marijuana program.
In Mississippi, patients are allowed to purchase up to 3.5 grams of cannabis flower or up to one gram of cannabis concentrate per day, with no more than three ounces of cannabis flower purchased per month. The state currently allows cannabis flower, as well as concentrated cannabis, cannabis extracts, and cannabis-infused products, such as edibles, beverages, tinctures, and topical products.
Though the emerging program is still relatively small, Mississippi is projected to reach $265 million in the first year of medical marijuana sales, with an estimated $800 million by the fourth year of sales.
Most stores are located in the more heavily populated areas of Jackson, Meridian, Tupelo, and DeSoto County, and Mississippi now has over 100 dispensaries. To be successful in this increasing competitive market, new brands will need to ensure their medical cannabis dispensary designs are compliant, scalable, and provide a positive shopping experience for patients.
Licensing & Compliance
Mississippi’s medical cannabis business licensing program launched during the summer of 2022 and the state is currently accepting applications on a rolling basis. To receive a license, prospective dispensary operators must provide written responses and submit a diagram of the licensed premises during the application process.
The Mississippi Department of Revenue (MDOR) is responsible for licensing dispensaries and, though there are no specific formatting requirements or prompts to follow when creating an application, it is best to ensure the business is compliant with Mississippi’s regulations and adheres to industry best practices.
While licenses are issued on a first come first served basis, there is no cap on the number of licenses the state may issue. Despite this, the number of issued licenses may be limited by the minimum distance restrictions – making prospective properties scarce and creating a competitive real estate market.
There are mandates on the minimum distance that cannabis dispensaries must be from a church, school, or childcare facility, and dispensaries are restricted from being too close to other dispensaries. Additionally, local-level zoning laws and regulations may further dictate the property types and zones where cannabis dispensaries are legally permitted.
Similar to California and New Jersey cannabis markets, Mississippi allows municipalities to prohibit cannabis businesses within their borders, so it is important to understand local and municipal regulations when selecting property for a medical cannabis dispensary design and build-out.
The best option is to build a team of experienced real estate agents, dispensary designers, licensed architects, contractors, and vendors to navigate the complex laws. This team of experts should have cannabis industry experience and should be knowledgeable about Mississippi’s cannabis dispensary requirements to reduce the risk of a rejected business application and move the dispensary through the process quickly.
Shopping Experience & Brand Design
As the Mississippi cannabis market matures, patients will show loyalty to dispensaries which provide a consistently positive shopping experience. This includes the dispensary’s interior design, lighting, shop-ability of product, visual merchandising, customer service, POS strategy, and operational efficiencies.
Since the state’s medical marijuana program is still in its first year, patients will be especially interested in dispensaries which provide opportunities for education. New patients may not be knowledgeable about the state’s medical marijuana program or the available products and their effects. To better serve these patients, dispensaries may include a guided walkthrough of the product selection and transaction process, rather than the self-guided customer walkthrough which is standard in recreational cannabis retail.
A guided walkthrough starts with an employee greeting patients as they enter the store and provides a more engaging shopping experience. Employees are then able to ensure that patients understand the brand, feel comfortable in the space, and are informed about the available products and their uses.
In addition to educating patients, Mississippi dispensaries should also prioritize patient accessibility by including seating areas, accessible bathrooms, and wide aisles between product displays. It is also important to confirm that medical cannabis displays, fixtures, and counters are useable by patients with varying accessibility needs.
One way to ensure that the dispensary design is equipped to meet the shopping and accessibility needs of a burgeoning medical marijuana market is to utilize pre-engineered dispensary fixtures and displays. These modular systems are designed specifically for the retail cannabis industry and have been proven in both medical and recreational markets throughout North America.
Should state or Federal cannabis legalization provide opportunities for business expansion, medical cannabis dispensaries utilizing scalable cannabis displays, such as The Module System, will be poised to grow with the market. Though Mississippi’s medical marijuana program is still young, it is likely to continue to develop into one of the largest cannabis markets in the South.
Why Choose SevenPoint Interiors?
SevenPoint Interiors’ is a premium retail design and manufacturing company specifically designated to the cannabis space -serving as a one-stop-resource by providing turnkey solutions to elevate the cannabis industry through retail design, for an enhanced shopping experience. Founded in 2017, as a division of Visual Elements Manufacturing -a leading retail design and manufacturing creative agency based in Toronto, Canada working on projects globally -SevenPoint Interiors is focused on enhancing the cannabis experience for patients and dispensary owners. With vertically integrated solutions, state-of-the-art commercial-grade equipment with manufacturing capabilities to execute custom fabrication and specialty finishes, the firm has strategically placed itself in a position to support multiple types of clients and retail projects inclusive to all budgets.
Looking to Hire a Dispensary Designer?
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