State Regulations
Cannabis in Louisiana
Louisiana has legalized cannabis for medical use but recreational use remains illegal. The state has however decriminalized the possession of up to 14 grams (0.49 ounces) of cannabis. You can transport cannabis for medical use but growing it is strictly illegal.
In 2020, House Bill 819 which expanded cannabis access to “any condition” that a doctor “considers debilitating to an individual patient and is qualified through his medical education and training to treat” came into law by a signature from Governor John Bel Edwards. The same Governor signed into law the decriminalization in 2021.
Though Louisiana law ostensibly permitted physicians who were licensed in this state to recommend the usage of medical marijuana in certain seriously ill cases for decades, it is not until 2017 that legislation got signed into law establishing a legal framework for its use. This is HB 149 signed into law by Governor Bobby Jindal.
This new law provides protection for physicians, patients, and caregivers, in addition to covering the licensing protocols as well as other regulatory controls.
Governor John Bel Edwards On June 22, 2021, signed HB 391 into law which lifted the prohibition on crude/raw and smokable marijuana products and it came into effect on January 1, 2022. Under this law, possession of not more than 2.5oz of cannabis flower is legal for medicinal use.
The conditions that qualify for medical cannabis in the state of Louisiana include:
- Cancer
- Glaucoma
- Cachexia/wasting syndrome
- Parkinson’s disease
- Positive status for human immunodeficiency virus
- Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
- Seizure disorders
- Epilepsy
- Intractable pain
- Spasticity
- Muscular dystrophy
- Severe muscle spasms
- PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder)
- Crohn’s disease
- Multiple sclerosis
Possession is allowed of up to a 30-day stock of non-smokable cannabis preparations such as edibles and tinctures. Cultivation of cannabis is not permitted in this state and as per the current law, “1 state-licensed supply source, which will distribute through up to 10 licensed pharmacies” is allowed.
Every passing year, as more Americans get acquainted with the benefits of cannabis for their health conditions as well as with its recreational use, there is increasing pressure on the Federal government to make more address the disparity in legalization. With more states amending their constitutions to allow for medical cannabis to be even adult use, America will soon become a wholly using nation, especially under the democratic leadership.
