Louisiana: Senate votes to expand access to medical cannabis

The Louisiana Senate passed a proposal this week to expand the state's medical cannabis program.

The bill HB819 would expand the number of patients eligible for medical cannabis by allowing any doctor to prescribe a cannabis-based treatment.

Most importantly, the proposal would remove a restriction that currently requires doctors to obtain specific approval to recommend cannabis. The bill also adds nine specific conditions under which a physician may prescribe medical cannabis.

The bill, introduced by Republican state House Representative Larry Bagley, was defeated by a huge 76-15 vote earlier this month before being approved by the Senate this week.

«[Medical cannabis] is already legal,» a declared Larry Bagley during the committee debate. «It simply provides better access.»

Medical cannabis in Louisiana

Louisiana's medical cannabis program technically began last year with the opening of the first dispensaries.

Medical cannabis had been legalized in 2015, when then-Republican Governor Bobby Jindal signed the bill into law. Implementation of the law suffered from numerous regulatory disagreements, leaving patients without access to cannabis.

Louisiana allows the treatment of patients with a wide range of illnesses, including cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, Parkinson's disease and post-traumatic stress disorder.