Marijuana; civil penalty for simple possession of 30 grams or less.

HB 518 would have changed Mississippi law to treat simple possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana as a civil offense instead of a criminal one. This would have affected individuals caught with small amounts of marijuana, replacing potential jail time with a monetary fine. The bill specifically proposed a civil penalty of up to $3,000 for possession of 30 grams or less, removing the possibility of imprisonment for this offense. The bill was referred to committee but died there in February 2025 and did not become law.