Medical marijuana is expected to start reaching selected dispensaries in Louisiana next week, as the state’s agriculture department has completed final testing and approved the therapeutic use of cannabis to patients.
On Thursday, Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain announced that GB Sciences can begin shipping out medical marijuana to Louisiana’s registered dispensaries.
Strain thanked by saying, “Everyone who has worked tirelessly from inception through production and testing to make this a reality.”
GB Sciences Louisiana president John Davis told The Associated Press, “The company is coordinating with the dispensaries to start delivering medical marijuana in the state on Tuesday.”
“I can’t tell you how excited we are for patients,” said Davis.
Many patients in Louisiana are waiting for years to get medical marijuana after lawmakers sanctioned the regulatory framework for prescribing therapeutic cannabis in 2015, which delayed the availability of the product.
Only the Louisiana State University (LSU) and Southern University agricultural centers are authorized to grow medical marijuana. And GB Sciences is LSU’s grower.
The pharmacy board has selected nine dispensing pharmacies across the state, which are eagerly waiting for the product to get onto the shelves. However, it is unclear how many of those pharmacies will immediately start dispensing medical marijuana.
Louisiana will be allowing medical marijuana to treat a variety of medical conditions, such as seizure disorders, epilepsy, cancer, glaucoma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Parkinson’s disease under the 2015 law and additional changes made since then. Therapeutic cannabis can be available in pills, liquids, medicinal oils, topical applications, and inhalers (ones that are used by asthma patients). The first product that GB Sciences will develop will be available in liquid tinctures, along with a dropper.
