In Louisiana, medical cannabis will soon be available for sale

Medical cannabis is expected to be available starting today at dispensaries in Louisiana. The state Department of Agriculture has just completed the final tests and authorized the distribution of medical cannabis to patients. Under the law, cannabis may be used to treat a long list of diseases and disorders, including cancer, seizures, epilepsy, glaucoma, post-traumatic stress disorder, and Parkinson’s disease.

Medical Cannabis has been legal in Louisiana since 2016, after Governor John Bel Edwards approved the bill proposed by his senators. However, the state has delayed its implementation several times due to changes in the legislation, the availability of cannabis products, and a lack of laboratory testing.

So far, nine pharmacies have been selected to distribute cannabis throughout the state. They will be supplied by GB Sciences, one of the two producers authorized by the state, along with the Agricultural Center of the University of the South. Cannabis will be available in the form of oil, pills, liquid, topical treatments, and an inhaler, similar to those used by asthma patients. It is not yet known how many of these dispensaries will begin dispensing medical cannabis as of early August 2019. Indeed, setting up an efficient supply system always takes time, especially since the only two authorized producers are both located in the state capital, Baton Rouge.

Cannabis is still illegal at the federal level in the United States, which is why doctors can only «recommend» cannabis to their patients, rather than prescribe it. This distinction is intended to provide legal protection for doctors. State figures indicate, however, that 98 of them have applied for a license to issue cannabis prescriptions to patients, demonstrating the medical profession’s interest in the substance’s properties.