Mississippi is set to become the first state to host a statewide research program designed to continuously track how medical marijuana affects patients’ symptoms, prescription medication use and quality of life, according to an announcement made today by clinical research company MoreBetter.
The initiative, which is expected to begin recruiting patients in early 2027, will collect detailed information from registered medical marijuana patients throughout Mississippi. Researchers will examine changes in chronic pain, sleep, anxiety and overall well-being, along with the types of marijuana products patients use and their experiences with those products.
One of the program’s central objectives is determining how medical marijuana use relates to prescription medication consumption, including whether patients reduce or discontinue certain medications over time. Researchers will also evaluate differences in patient outcomes based on qualifying medical conditions and patterns of marijuana use.
MoreBetter will oversee the research protocols, patient participation, data collection and study management, working with academic partners to analyze the results and support publication of the findings.
The company says the program will use standardized clinical assessments to develop a statewide dataset, allowing researchers to compare outcomes across patients and medical conditions. The research protocols are being designed for institutional review board review, with patient information protected through de-identification procedures.
MoreBetter is also developing partnerships that could allow patient-reported information to be connected with electronic health records and insurance claims. If implemented, the system could help researchers examine changes in hospital visits, healthcare expenses and prescription costs, including potential impacts on Medicaid.
The company intends to make selected findings publicly available through an online data portal, giving lawmakers, regulators, healthcare professionals and researchers access to statewide medical marijuana outcomes data.
The initiative builds on an earlier Mississippi study conducted by MoreBetter that enrolled approximately 300 medical marijuana cardholders in just 10 days.
Mississippi’s medical marijuana program has experienced substantial growth since retail sales began in 2023. According to the Mississippi State Department of Health’s 2025 annual report, the state had 66,041 active medical marijuana patients in December 2025, up from 49,626 the previous year. Chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder were the two most commonly reported qualifying conditions.
Kevin Provost, chief executive officer of MoreBetter, said the program is intended to address the limited availability of comprehensive patient-level information about medical marijuana’s effects.
“Every state with a medical cannabis market is asking the same questions about health outcomes and prescription use, and almost none of them have patient-level answers,” said Provost.
Mississippi is expected to be the first of more than a dozen states participating in similar research initiatives. MoreBetter identified Pennsylvania and Illinois among the states where additional programs are anticipated, although specific launch dates have not been announced.
Patient recruitment in Mississippi is expected to begin during the first quarter of 2027, with participation details to be released closer to the launch. The company has not announced a target enrollment figure for the statewide study.
