Starting today, patients eligible for medical marijuana can now buy it from dispensaries in smokable form.
Representative Tanner Magee (R-Houma) authored the legislation that made it legal for the state’s nine licensed pharmacies to dispense the flower form of marijuana.
“We had the non-smokable form for a while and that really wasn’t a popular product, people didn’t really like it or use it that much, this is what the population who uses it wants,” said Magee.
Up until 2022, medical marijuana was available to patients with certain conditions in liquids, topical applications, inhalers, and edible gummies. Magee says since the smokeable form involves less processing, it should cost less for the consumer.
“If the price doesn’t come down, I think it’s something the Legislature is going to have to look at,” said Magee.
Louisiana launched its medical marijuana program in 2019 after lawmakers approved the dispensing framework in 2015. There are now 28-thousand patients who have a valid medical marijuana prescription. Magee says many of those individuals are over the age of 65.
“They are finding a lot of uses for it as they age, so the problem is you don’t want to price something they can’t get that they find beneficial,” said Magee.
