Louisiana: More than a dozen marijuana bills filed

Ask your legislators to support allowing medical cannabis in its natural form.

On Monday, lawmakers returned to Baton Rouge for their 2021 legislative session. More than a dozen cannabis policy bills have been proposed — including bills to legalize cannabis and to allow flower cannabis in the state’s medical cannabis program.

Louisiana is one of only two states whose comprehensive medical cannabis program prohibits cannabis in its natural, whole-plant form. Extracts are more costly, so this puts medical cannabis out of reach of many Louisianans. Louisiana also prohibits inhaled marijuana — other than nebulizers — which also prevents many patients from using the mode of administration that works best for them. HB 391 would change that by adding raw, flower cannabis to Louisiana’s medical marijuana program.

Ask your legislators to support HB 391, to allow patients to use the form of cannabis that works best for them.

We are also encouraged that both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have sponsored bills to legalize cannabis for all adults. Rep. Richard Nelson’s HB 524 would refer the question of legalization to voters in 2022, while Rep. Candace Newell’s HBs 243 and 637 would operate together to legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis. Call your state lawmakers to let them know it’s past time Louisiana replace its failed war on marijuana with a more thoughtful approach.

Then, please spread the word so that other Louisianans can raise their voices for humane, sensible cannabis policies.

Thank you.