Louisiana: Medical cannabis bills to be heard Tuesday!

Ask your legislators to support improvements to the medical cannabis law.

On Tuesday, April 19 at 8:30 a.m., the House Committee on Health and Welfare will hear testimony on nine bills that would revise Louisiana’s medical cannabis program. 

The bills would increase the number of pharmacies and the number of growers, protect patients visiting from other states, expand the types of medical professionals who can recommend medical cannabis to patients, and change which state agency regulates the program. Links to the bills — and short summaries — can be found here under the heading “Medical Cannabis.”

Let your legislators know you want to see improvements to the medical cannabis program.

Last year, legislators heard your cries for improving the medical program and convened the Medical Marijuana Commission. Many patients came to the capitol and expressed their frustrations over accessibility, lack of variety of medicine, and the cost of medical cannabis. The bills being heard aim to rectify the issues patients brought to the Commission’s attention.

If you’d like to make your voice heard in support of one or more of these bills, here are some tips on testifying, along with directions to the capitol and tips on navigating to Committee Room 5 (in the basement of the House side) to get to the hearing room. You can submit written testimony to h-hw@legis.la.gov before noon on Monday, April 18. Be sure to identify which bill you are testifying in support of.

This is the first time the legislature has considered increasing therapeutic cannabis growers and pharmacies. Your voice is critical to seeing expansion to the program to better meet the needs of patients.