Governor John Bel Edwards has signed House Bill 391, formally legalizing medical marijuana in it's raw and smokable form. Representative from Houma, Tanner Magee sponsored this bill to drive down the cost for some patients. The manufactured forms that are currently available cost more, as they take time and money to be processed. Magee says:

“Having the raw form of it, which the public has shown they really want, will allow them to drive down their costs so they can pass on to the consumer and have a real alternative to opioids”.

Due to the current small number of manufacturers, patients may not see the first line of smokable marijuana rolled out until early January of next year. This particular bill saw very little opposition on it's way to the Governor's desk.

The two current producers of medical marijuana crops in Louisiana are LSU and Southern University. And a push is currently being made to expand those projects.

There are now a wide range of conditions that will qualify you for the medical marijuana program, including:

  • Cancer
  • Crohn’s Disease
  • Chronic Pain
  • Communication difficulties or avoidance that jeopardizes the patient’s physical health
  • Destructive or physically aggressive behaviors
  • Epilepsy
  • Glaucoma
  • HIV/AIDS
  • Muscular Dystrophy
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Repetitive or self-stimulatory behaviors that put the patient’s physical health at risk
  • Seizure Disorders
  • Self-Injuring Behaviors
  • Severe Muscle Spasms
  • Spasticity
  • Wasting Syndrome/Cachexia
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Migraines

Those conditions as well as some others will qualify you.

For a helpful step-by-step guide to getting medical marijuana locally, check HERE for some tips.

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