Louisiana Marijuana Laws
This state has legalized marijuana for medical use.
Possession: A 30-day supply of non-smokable preparation of marijuana
Can you use other Legal State Cards: No
How The Law Reads:
SB 35 – Approved June 5, 2017 by the House, 76-21 Signed into law by Gov. John Bel Edwards on June 22, 2017
Effective: June 22, 2017
SB 35 Provides exemptions from arrest and prosecution to persons lawfully in possession of medical marijuana as medical cannabis industry workers (licensed pharmacies, laboratories, researchers, etc.)
SB 180 – Approved May 26, 2016 by Senate, 29-7 Signed into law by Gov. John Bel Edwards on June 2, 2016
Effective: August 1, 2016
SB 180 provides legal protections (immunity from prosecution) for patients whose doctors recommend medical cannabis in a form permissible under R.S. 40:1046.
SB 271 – Approved May 16, 2016 by Senate, 22-14 Signed into law by Gov. John Bel Edwards on May 19, 2016
Effective: May 19, 2016
SB 271 replaces language in the current law that allows doctors to “prescribe” medical marijuana, which is illegal under federal law, with language that allows them to “recommend” it. It also removes glaucoma from the existing list of qualifying medical conditions and adds other conditions. The current list of approved conditions is listed below.
Approved Conditions:
Cancer, positive status for human immunodeficiency virus, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, cachexia or wasting syndrome, seizure disorders, epilepsy, spasticity, Crohn’s disease, muscular dystrophy, or multiple sclerosis.
Possession/Cultivation:
Medical marijuana can only be dispensed in approved forms, which does not include “raw or crude marijuana” or inhaled forms, and only a 30-day supply of non-smokable preparation of marijuana is permitted. The law does not allow patients or caregivers to cultivate cannabis. The law calls for a single, state-licensed supply source, which is anticipated to be Louisiana State University and/or Southern University. The Department of Agriculture and Forestry will issue a special license for a single production facility, which must produce marijuana with the “lowest acceptable therapeutic levels available through scientifically accepted methods” under a tightly controlled system.
Regulations:
The Louisiana Board of Pharmacy is charged with developing regulations medical cannabis pharmacies must abide by. The Department of Agriculture and Forestry is developing cultivation regulations, and the Board of Medical Examiners is regulating physicians.
Articles:
IT’S OFFICIAL! LOUISIANA LEGALIZES COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAL MARIJUANA PROGRAM – High Times
Louisiana Board of Pharmacy
3388 Brentwood Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 78089
Phone: (225) 925-6496