Those hoping to enter the forthcoming medical cannabis industry in Mississippi may have the lights turned out before they even get going.
That’s because officials from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), a federally owned utility company and one of three main suppliers of wholesale electricity in north Mississippi, have indicated they will not provide power to facilities that grow or sell medical cannabis, the Daily Journal reported.
A statement from TVA officials points to the federal illegality of the plant as its basis.
“Given this important point, TVA will not direct any federal resources or funds to the cultivation and/or distribution of marijuana,” the statement reads.
The announcement comes just days after Gov. Tate Reeves signed legislation making Mississippi the 37th state to legalize medical cannabis.
RELATED: Mississippi Governor Signs 'Medical Marijuana Bill'
The TVA document said that if an employee learns that a customer served by a local power company violates federal cannabis laws, then that employee must report it to management, the Daily Journal reported.
While municipal-owned utility companies in Mississippi, such as Tupelo Water & Light and Tombigbee Electric Power Association, receive their power from TVA, company spokesperson Scott Brooks would not say whether those local entities could service cannabis businesses without threatening their partnerships with TVA.
