The medical marijuana and hemp industries in Louisiana continue to evolve, even as they must navigate ever-changing laws governing how such products are produced and sold.
As Business Report reports in its latest edition, medical marijuana has technically been legal in Louisiana since 1978, when Gov. Edwin Edwards signed into law legislation legalizing it for glaucoma and chemotherapy patients. However, the state never put a formal program in place.
But in 2019, Louisiana became the first state in the Deep South to make medical marijuana available to patients.
Until this year, LSU and Southern University had held the only two medical marijuana grower licenses in Louisiana since 2016. To help start their cannabis farms, the colleges partnered with private companies Good Day Farm and Ilera Holistic Healthcare, respectively.
However, during the legislative session that ended in June, lawmakers revoked the exclusive farming rights of LSU and Southern University via Senate Bill 228 and fully privatized marijuana production by transferring the licenses to the two companies.
No other companies can apply for a grower’s license unless Good Day Farm or Ilera relinquishes theirs. Business Report has the full story.
