On Monday, Judge Michael P. Mills of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, dismissed a lawsuit filed by Tru Source Medical Cannabis owner Clarence Cocroft II challenging the state’s ban on advertising legal medical marijuana businesses.
Cocroft, who is represented by the Institute for Justice (IJ), said he will appeal the decision. He contends that he should be able to advertise like any other business owner and that it is unfair to have to rely just on word of mouth.
“I’m prepared to fight this fight for as long as it takes,” Cocroft said. “This case is bigger than me and my dispensary – it is about defending the right of everyone to truthfully advertise their legal business in the cannabis industry.”
Cocroft opened Tru Source in Olive Branch, shortly after the state law legalizing medical cannabis went into effect in 2022. Mississippi law allows for the cultivation of medical marijuana to be sold to prescription holders in state-licensed dispensaries, such as Tru Source.
However, under state law, the Department of Health (DOH) has wide discretion to enact restrictions on advertising by dispensaries and prohibits dispensaries from advertising and marketing in any media including newspapers, television,