This medical marijuana company plans to expand in Baker

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A FIRST: In 2019, Louisiana became the first state in the Deep South to make medical marijuana available to patients. (iStock)

Medical marijuana company Illera Holistic Healthcare wants to grow operations at its Baker facility.

At its meeting later this month, the East Baton Rouge Parish Planning Commission will review plans to construct a 44,000-square-foot expansion to Illera’s existing facility on Plank Road near Stoneview Avenue.

“The medical marijuana industry is growing, and we’re going to be significantly expanding our capacity to support the market growth,” Illera CEO Lisa Gray tells Daily Report. “We’ll be about doubling in size.”

Gray says the expansion will necessitate about 70 additional employees, up from the current workforce of 75. Gray is hopeful the construction project will be completed by the first quarter of 2026.

“The existing infrastructure is working great. We have it dialed in, and this will just take us to the next phase,” she adds.

Engineering consultant firm Southeast Engineers filed the application with the commission. Other proposed improvements include pavement for parking, deliveries, and pedestrian routes. The site, however, is private property and only employees are allowed.

Until 2024, LSU and Southern University had held the only two medical marijuana grower licenses in Louisiana since 2016. To help start their cannabis farm, the colleges partnered with private companies Good Day Farm and Ilera Holistic Healthcare, respectively.

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.

“That legislative change took effect on July 1 of 2024, so we were just continuing to manage our operation,” Gray says. “We’re just carrying on with that. We had a very positive relationship with Southern and continue to support students.”

There are 20 dispensaries in Louisiana, according to the Illera website, including the two Capitol Wellness Solutions locations on Picardy Avenue and O’Neal Lane in Baton Rouge.

Read a recent Business Report story on Louisiana’s medical marijuana industry.