Louisiana Bill Could Increase Access to Medical Marijuana if Signed

The Louisiana Legislature passed House Bill 697 on June 6, which expands Louisiana’s medical marijuana in several ways. The bill, if signed by Governor Edwards, would permit physicians to recommend therapeutic marijuana using telemedicine, require marijuana pharmacies to deliver to patients’ homes, and impose new standards to cultivate, process, test and transport medical marijuana.

The bill would also significantly expand the potential number of marijuana pharmacies in Louisiana from 10 to 30. Under current state law, the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy can issue 10 marijuana pharmacy permits. It has only issued nine so far. Each permit was allotted to an entity to operate in one of the Louisiana Department of Health’s nine administrative regions. House Bill 697 expands the number of marijuana pharmacies in two ways.

• • First, it directs the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy to issue the 10th marijuana pharmacy permit to an entity in the administrative region that includes Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes.
  • Second, it allows current marijuana pharmacy permit holders to open up to two satellite locations depending on the number of active, qualified patients identified in the prescription monitoring program in their region. Under the bill, each permit holder could open a satellite location in its region whenever the number of patients in that region reaches 3,500. If, after a first satellite location opens, the number of patients served by each location in a region reaches 3,500, the permit holder may open a second satellite location. If the marijuana pharmacy declines to open a second satellite location, the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy may award an additional marijuana pharmacy license in that region to open one location in lieu of the original licensee’s second location.

Assuming there is sufficient demand, this change would allow up to 30 marijuana pharmacy locations to operate across Louisiana, with up to three locations in each administrative region except the region consisting of Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes, which could have up to six locations.

Please contact Beau Haynes, Matt Harrell or any member of Phelps’ Health Care team if you have questions or need advice and guidance.