Cannabis flower sales begin in Louisiana

Legal sales of smokable cannabis flowers began in Louisiana over the long bank holiday weekend, offering patients enrolled in the state’s medical cannabis program a new way to access their medication of choice.

Louisiana legislature legalized the medicinal use of cannabis in 2015, with regulated medicinal cannabis products being sold in pharmacies as of 2019. Under the government program, patients with one or more qualifying medical conditions could receive a recommendation from their doctors on the medicinal use of cannabis.

But the program’s limitations have been criticized by proponents of medical marijuana. The supply of medicinal cannabis in Louisiana was tightly regulated, with only three breeders enrolled in state university programs that allowed them to grow medicinal cannabis in the state. Only nine pharmacies across the state were allowed to dispense medical cannabis to patients.

In addition, inhalable medicinal cannabis products, including vapes and flowers, were banned under Louisiana’s medical cannabis program, which only allows cannabis forms such as tinctures, topicals, and gums. MDIs were approved in 2019, but smokable forms of marijuana were still unavailable to patients.

Last year Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards passed a bill expanding Louisiana’s medical marijuana program to include raw forms of cannabis on the menu of eligible products. Legal sales of smokable medicinal cannabis began in the state on January 1.

“It’s an exciting day; it feels like the first day in August 2019 that the first products hit the market, “said John Davis of Good Day Farms, the private partner and breeder of Louisiana State University AgCenter.

More choice for patients

Proponents of including smokable cannabis flowers in Louisiana’s medical marijuana program argued that the processed forms of cannabis available to patients are more expensive than dried forms of the plant. Ruston Henry, owner and pharmacist of the licensed pharmacy H&W Drug Store in New Orleans, told local media that approval of cannabis flowers at a lower cost will benefit the state’s medical marijuana patients.

“That cost saving is passed on to the customer,” said Henry. “When you cut costs, that is one less barrier that becomes an obstacle for the patient. More people should be able to participate in this program. “

However, patients state that they did not see any reduction in the price they paid. Corbet King, who uses medicinal cannabis to treat chronic pain and bipolar disorder, drove an hour to West Monroe to visit Delta MedMar, a licensed cannabis dispensary in northeast Louisiana. However, he said he was disappointed with the prices of cannabis flowers, which he believed can be bought far cheaper from illegal sources.

“They said it was cheaper, but it isn’t,” said King. “I’ve been waiting for the flower option, but that’s more than double the street price” of unregulated cannabis.

“I feel like we were lied to,” added King.

With legal sales beginning Saturday, the prices for an eighth ounce of cannabis flower in Louisiana’s nine licensed pharmacies ranged from $ 35 in St. Charles to $ 80 in New Orleans, according to media reports. Greg Morrison, a co-owner of Delta MedMar, said prices would likely fall as more patients join the medical cannabis program and as more products become available to suppliers.

“As there are more patients and more products, prices become more affordable,” said Morrison.

Davis said Good Day Farms ramped up its cultivation to meet demand for smokable forms of marijuana, with two cannabis strains now available and additional strains in production.

“They are just replenished and there are more flowers in the Department of Agriculture and Forestry test pipeline that (we) are expected to be available by mid-January,” he said.

“So we’ll be bringing additional strains to market over time so that patients have more and more strains to choose from,” added Davis.

Republican State Representative Tanner Magee, Louisiana House spokesman and sponsor of the Medical Cannabis Expansion Act, told reporters he was concerned about early reports of high prices for newly available cannabis flowers.

“It’s the first day, but I’ll watch it and see if there needs to be any further adjustments,” Magee said. “One of the main reasons for expanding the program’s options was to make the drug more affordable and accessible.”

Louisiana Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Dr. Mike Strain said the addition of cannabis flowers to the state’s medical marijuana program is likely to change the way patients take their medications.

“I think there will be a shift in consumption patterns,” said Strain. “We’ll likely have some increase in utilization overall, but it remains to be seen. We’ll know in about six months. “