When Louisiana’s first legal smokable medical marijuana was made available on Jan. 1, patients like Corbet King of Wisner were excited about the product that they believed would be a more affordable option than tinctures, oils and edibles. After all, affordability was one of the key selling points when the Legislature passed a bill last year to add the plant’s unprocessed flower to the products that Louisiana’s two legal growers and nine regional pharmacies could offer to patients. But when King and other patients arrived at their pharmacies they were surprised to find the flower product in some cases was just as costly or even more expensive, depending on the pharmacy. “They lied to us,” said King, who showed USA Today Network a price chart in which Delta MedMar pharmacy in Monroe was charging between $440 and $480 per ounce. “Most people can’t afford this.” King, who must drive an hour from Wisner to obtain his medicine, said those prices are more than double the illegal street price of weed. It’s also more than double the cost of lowest prices of medical weed in other states, according to budzu, an online site that tracks pot prices.

420 Intel – Marijuana Industry News, 01/12/2022 19:00:00

Open article: https://420intel.com/articles/2022/01/13/should-louisiana-break-medical-marijuana-monopolies-lower-prices