User:Mpotier93/Cannabis in Louisiana

Medical cannabis (2015–present)
On June 30, 2015, Governor Bobby Jindal signed HB 149, which sets up a framework for dispensing marijuana for medical purposes. On Tuesday, August 6, 2019, medical cannabis was dispensed in the state for the first time, supplied by cannabis grower GB Sciences.

In August 2020, HB 819, signed by Governor John Bel Edwards, greatly expanded access to medical cannabis. HB 819 allows any licensed doctor in good standing with the state to recommend cannabis for any condition the doctor "considers debilitating to an individual patient and is qualified through his medical education and training to treat." The bill expanded access to candidates with conditions not limited to, but including "neuro-degenerative diseases, traumatic brain injury, chronic pain, and any conditions requiring hospice or palliative care."

On June 22, 2021, Governor John Bel Edwards signed into law HB 391 which lifts the prohibition on raw/crude and smokable cannabis products effective January 1, 2022. Possession of up to 2.5oz of cannabis flower will be legal for medicinal purposes. Louisiana no longer requires medical marijuana cards for purchase; a doctor's recommendation is the only requirement. Raw flower marijuana is now also purchasable through dispensaries.

On June 6, 2022, HB 697 was signed by Governor John Bel Edwards expanding pharmacy access and lifting the cap on medical cannabis pharmacies from 9 to a total of 30, effective August 1st, 2022.

Some states allow the sales of cannabis products as long as the level of THC is below a certain threshold, but Louisiana deems it necessary to have any products that contain THC be at the lowest possible levels. Marijuana plants grown for recreational/medicinal purposes are not allowed in Louisiana.