The Louisiana House Health and Welfare Committee advanced legislation on April 19 to expand medical cannabis access in the state. The committee approved Rep. Joe Marino’s House Bill 758, which would expand the number of medical cannabis pharmacy licenses in the state from 10 to 25, according to the Associated Press. The legislation would set aside 30% of the new licenses for minority- and women-owned businesses, the news outlet reported. H.B. 758 would also give preference to Louisiana pharmacists for the new licenses, according to a News Star report. A separate proposal from Marino, House Bill 135, would allow patients from other states to access medical cannabis at Louisiana’s pharmacies, the news outlet reported. H.B. 135 would also transfer medical cannabis regulation from the Louisiana Department of Agriculture to the Department of Health and add the University of Louisiana at Monroe to the list of institutions that can research medical cannabis, according to the News-Star.
Posted Melissa Schiller, Cannabis Business Times, 04/20/2022 12:13:00