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Some MS cannabis growers may not be able to turn a profit with new weed-testing regulations

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Some MS cannabis growers may not be able to turn a profit with new weed-testing regulations



State Health Officer offers further grace period for growers to catch up with new regulations

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Dozens of medical cannabis cultivators and other business owners voiced concerns Thursday at the State Capitol over the potential negative impact of new yeast and mold testing requirements for flower.

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During an advisory meeting with state health officials and legislators, small-size cultivators said they are being squeezed both by new testing regulations and methods, which is causing more failed sanitation tests, and by the fact that if they fail, there is currently no way to have the product retested if the batch is “cleansed”.

They said this could threaten some small cultivators’ livelihoods. According to figures from several sources, the new testing standard alone will likely cost smaller growers thousands either through retesting and pretests, cleansing or purchasing new equipment.

It is already a distressed industry, with 393 licensed Mississippi cannabis businesses, including dispensaries, cultivators and processors, serving 43,000 medically approved customers across the state, a tough ratio for these businesses.

“Some of the farmers are living from crop to crop… I think we’re pushing this a little too fast. I don’t have an issue with (the testing standard). I’m all for it, but I have an issue with we don’t have an accurate testing guideline to reach that number,” Phen Schlett, owner of Big River Cannabis, said, referring to how cultivators haven’t been given guidelines on how to reduce the number of yeast and mold cells in crops.

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According to figures provided by the Mississippi Medical Marijuana Association, cultivators and lab owners, it costs growers $500 to test one batch of flower at a testing facility. If it fails, the flower must be turned into oils or other distillates. That process cuts the crop’s value in half, Mississippi Medical Marijuana Association Executive Director Henry Crisler said. Growers can also appeal test results to the state for a possible retest.

During the meeting, several business owners expressed concern that the new standard will cause them to fail their tests, tanking profitability. Dekalb-based Alchemy Analytics, a testing lab, has already seen several failed tests, CEO Hatem Mourad told the Clarion Ledger.

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Perry Lewis, COO of Steep Hills, the only other operating lab in the state, said of the 24 batches of flower the lab has tested without any prior cleansing, seven passed and 17 failed. Five other batches were sent in pre-treated with radiation, and they all passed.

“It’s definitely a high percentage, and the other lab is quoting about the same or worse than we are,” Lewis said.

In January, the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Program implemented a new regulation requiring a limit to the amount of mold and yeast cells found within flower. To ensure businesses had enough time to adjust, there was a six-month grace period. More than 20 other states with cannabis programs already have this requirement.

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However, in December and January, nearly 75% of the industry’s product was recalled due to testing failures at Rapid Analytics. Lewis said it was difficult for Steep Hills and cultivators to catch up to the regulation as they were trying to retest products and recoup losses. Lewis said that situation continued until late June, when retesting stopped. The new regulations took effect July 29.

“It felt like a lot of people forgot where we were at the beginning of this year,” Lewis said, noting that Steep Hills took on a large portion of the industry’s testing when Rapid Analytics closed. “June was the first time we felt like we were in a position, when we were in a good turnaround point to prepare for the new regulation.”

State Health Officer Daniel Edney simply said that wasn’t an excuse, and that several mid to large-sized cultivators already cleanse their product.

“We lost six months of grace period, and I’m just challenged to know why there was no discussion about this in the last six months,” Edney said. “We could have taken care of all this over the grace period…I’m happy to extend it for a limited amount of time with a game plan. We want everybody to be able to comply in a reasonable way and not impact negatively their business.”

Read about PBMs in Mississippi Pharmacists, Pharmacy Benefit Managers, argue over high drug, business costs at hearing

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Edney also said the program plans to release guidelines in a few weeks on having failed product cleaned so it can be resent for compliance testing.

“We’ve even looked at what do we need to do at the state level to provide remediation access for the smaller cultivators,” Edney said. “We want to make this work where this is not the Department of Health trying to run people out of business.”

However, Crisler said he is unaware of any remediation businesses in Mississippi, and the cost for cultivators to acquire the equipment to conduct that cleaning is expensive. Some of that equipment can costs more than $200,000, one cannabis cultivator said during the meeting.

If growers were to pay a third party to conduct the testing, it would also cost nearly $200, and they would still have to spend the about $500 to retest for compliance, Crisler said. Labs can also conduct a research and development test of a small sample before a cultivator sends in a batch. Lewis said Steep Hills currently charges $110 for just a yeast and mold research and development test.

Edney said that while he understands the new testing standard is affecting smaller growers, they are necessary to keep the public safe, and that he is willing to work with cultivators to become compliant with the tests. He did not say when a new grace period would start or how long it would be.

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 Grant McLaughlin covers state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335.



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Mississippi

JSU’s Sonic Boom and State of MS to participate in Rose Parade

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JSU’s Sonic Boom and State of MS to participate in Rose Parade


JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – All eyes will be glued to the 2025 Tournament of Roses Parade on Wednesday, with Mississippians entertaining crowds along the parade route.

Jackson State University’s Sonic Boom of the South and Mississippi’s musical legacy appear on the national stage, showing why we’re the birthplace of American music.

“Here on the biggest of stages is an incredible opportunity for us,” said Governor Tate Reeves.

He and the First Family are in Pasadena, California, and will be atop the state float during the 136th Rose Parade.

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Adorned with 13,000 yellow roses, it pays homage to Elvis Presley, B.B. King, Jimmy Rogers, and Bobby Rush.

It is a reminder to the world that Mississippi is the birthplace of American music, and bringing live sounds of southern music is Jackson State University’s Sonic Boom of the South.

“I don’t know who all is gonna be in the parade, but I do know who is gonna take the show,” added Reeves.

“It’s an opportunity for us to share with the world what we’ve always known, which is that we have the greatest band in the land, that Mississippi is home, it is the birthplace of music, and that we are maintaining that tradition,” said Dr. Lisa Beckley-Roberts, Chair of Jackson State University’s Department of Music.

Visit Jackson sees this as a chance to showcase the city and state.

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“This is a place that we’ve belonged for a long time, but we’re finally taking our place,” said Visit Jackson spokesperson Yolanda Clay-Moore. “We have such a rich culture and tapestry a musical footprint.”

It’s been quite a year for JSU, performing at the Super Bowl in February and now starting the New Year in the Rose Parade.

“A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our students and now to cap off this year and to be in California and to be performing at the Rose Parade, we’re all just overwhelmed with gratitude,” added Beckley-Roberts.

The Rose Parade airs Wednesday at 10 a.m. on NBC.

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Thousands of seniors and people with disabilities in Mississippi will receive higher Social Security payments in 2025 – it's now official

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Thousands of seniors and people with disabilities in Mississippi will receive higher Social Security payments in 2025 – it's now official


Almost half a million retirees in Mississippi, along with thousands of others, are expected to see their Social Security benefits go up in the new year.

In October, the Social Security Administration announced a 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2025. On average, Social Security retirement benefits will increase by around $50 a month starting in January.

“Social Security benefits and SSI payments will rise in 2025, providing support to tens of millions of people as they manage expenses, even as inflation begins to ease,” Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley said in an October statement.

Over the past decade, COLA increases have averaged about 2.6%, with a peak of 8.7% in 2023. In 2024, the COLA increase was 3.2%.

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Across the country, nearly 68 million Social Security recipients will see a 2.5% increase in their benefits. For the 7.5 million people receiving SSI, the higher payments will start on Dec. 31, 2024. Here’s an overview of Social Security in Mississippi.

How many people in Mississippi receive Social Security?

As of December 2023, 469,560 retirees in Mississippi were receiving Social Security benefits, according to official figures. Almost half a million residents!

In addition, 106,000 people were receiving Social Security disability benefits. Payments also went to 43,000 widows, widowers, and parents, 14,000 spouses, and approximately 59,000 children.

How old do I have to be to collect Social Security?

You can start receiving Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62, but your payments will be reduced if you claim them before reaching your “full” retirement age.

You can check the Social Security Administration’s website to see how your benefit amount changes depending on when you start taking it.

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The full retirement age has gradually increased over time. For example:

  • If you were born between 1943 and 1954, full benefits began at age 66.
  • For those born in 1955, the full retirement age is 66 years and 2 months.
  • It increases slightly for each birth year until it reaches 67 for those born in 1960 or later.

If you wait to claim your benefits past your full retirement age, up until age 70, your payments will increase.

People can sign up for text or email notifications to know when a new message, like their COLA notice, is available in their My Social Security account, according to Social Security.

Will Medicare and other benefits change?

Details about Medicare changes for 2025 can be found at their official website. Social Security beneficiaries who are also enrolled in Medicare can check their 2025 benefit amount in the Message Center of their My Social Security account.

How is the COLA calculated?

The Social Security Act outlines the process for calculating the COLA.

The annual COLA is based on the increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), which is determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics within the Department of Labor.

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The Social Security Administration provides a list of annual COLA increases dating back to 1975. Before that, any increases had to be approved by Congress, and they didn’t occur yearly.

The 2025 COLA of 2.5% is the smallest adjustment since January 2021, when the increase was only 1.3%. Here’s a ranking of the different COLAs throughout history:

Lowest COLAs:

  • 0%: 2010, 2011, 2016
  • 0.3%: 2017
  • 1.3%: 1987, 1999, 2021
  • 1.6%: 2022
  • 1.7%: 2013, 2015

Highest COLAs:

  • 14.3%: 1980
  • 11.2%: 1981
  • 9.9%: 1979
  • 8.7%: 2023
  • 8%: 1975
  • 7.4%: 1982
  • 6.5%: 1978
  • 6.4%: 1976
  • 5.9%: 1977, 2022

How much of my paycheck is taxed to fund Social Security?

Each year, adjustments are made in January based on the rise in average wages. In 2025, the maximum earnings subject to Social Security tax will increase from $168,600 to $176,100.

  • For employees and employers: Each pays 6.2% of wages up to the maximum taxable amount.
  • For the self-employed: They pay 12.4% of their earnings up to the same limit.

In 2023, total income to the combined OASI (Old-Age and Survivors Insurance) and DI (Disability Insurance) Trust Funds reached $1.351 trillion. This included:

  • $1.233 trillion from net payroll tax contributions
  • $51 billion from taxes on benefits
  • $67 billion from interest income



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Your Mississippi forecast for Tuesday, December 31 – SuperTalk Mississippi

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Your Mississippi forecast for Tuesday, December 31 – SuperTalk Mississippi


It should be a sunny day across the board as comfortable temperatures are expected to round out the calendar year in Mississippi. Here’s your statewide forecast from the National Weather Service.

Northern Mississippi

A few clouds may linger in the morning, but then, the sun is expected to come out in full force. Highs will be in the mid-50s with lows in the mid-30s come nightfall.

Central Mississippi

Sunshine is expected throughout the day with highs in the lower 60s and lows in the mid to upper 50s come nightfall.

Southern Mississippi

Sunshine is expected throughout the day with highs hanging around 70 degrees and lows dropping into the lower 40s at night.



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