▁country , ▁having ▁been ▁the ▁first ▁state ▁to ▁implement ▁a ▁sales ▁tax , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 2 ▁the ▁first ▁state ▁to ▁pass ▁a ▁Mar ried ▁Women ' s ▁Property ▁Act . ▁ ▁Also , ▁between ▁the ▁Re const ruction ▁era , ▁when ▁black s ▁constit uted ▁a ▁majority ▁and ▁elected ▁many ▁represent atives ▁to ▁local ▁and ▁state ▁office , ▁and ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁Mississippi ▁has ▁elected ▁more ▁African - American ▁officials ▁( including ▁local ▁offices ) ▁than ▁any ▁other ▁state ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁Mississippi ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁a ▁growing ▁number ▁of ▁states , ▁ 1 7 ▁as ▁of ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁Columbia ▁to ▁have ▁dec riminal ized ▁the ▁possession ▁of ▁mar iju ana , ▁so ▁that ▁possession ▁of ▁ 3 0 ▁gr ams ▁or ▁less ▁of ▁mar iju ana ▁is ▁pun ish able ▁only ▁by ▁a ▁fine ▁of ▁$ 1 0 0 ▁– ▁$ 2 5 0 ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁off ense ▁with ▁no ▁j ail ▁time . ▁ ▁County ▁government ▁Mississippi ▁has ▁ 8 2 ▁count ies ▁and ▁present ▁the ▁closest ▁face ▁of ▁government ▁to ▁citizens . ▁M embers ▁of ▁the ▁county ▁Bo ards ▁of ▁Super vis ors ▁are ▁elected ▁from ▁single - member ▁districts , ▁and ▁several ▁other ▁county ▁officials , ▁such ▁as ▁sh er iff , ▁are ▁elected ▁at - large . ▁At ▁a ▁time ▁when ▁the ▁state ▁was ▁pre domin ately ▁rural , ▁count ies ▁were ▁divided