Marijuana; reduce penalties for possession of.

HB 1280 reduces penalties for marijuana possession in Mississippi by establishing new, lower sentencing tiers based on the amount possessed. It directly affects individuals convicted of possessing marijuana, replacing previous penalties with maximum punishments of up to 18 months in jail or $1,500 in fines for under 30 grams, and up to 10 years or $10,000 for amounts over 500 grams. The bill amends existing law to create a four-tier system (under 30g, 30-250g, 250g-500g, and 500g-1kg) with progressively higher penalties for larger quantities. These changes apply specifically to simple possession offenses, not sales or other marijuana-related violations. The bill was referred to committee but died there in February 2026.