Louisiana State University Opts Into Marijuana Cultivation

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The Louisiana State University Board of Supervisors has approved a resolution allowing the school’s AgCenter to seek a state license to produce cannabis as part of a recently passed medical marijuana law there.

The move could provide an opportunity for private cannabis companies to serve in an advisory role.

LSU’s AgCenter said in a news release it will renovate a private, off-campus indoor facility that will have heavy security.

Students won’t be involved in the initiative. The AgCenter will not receive any additional state funding for the project. Instead, a third party will receive funds to carry out the project with private financing, under an agreement with the AgCenter.

In May, the Louisiana Legislature passed a bill amending a 2015 law that allows people with certain debilitating medical conditions to obtain a doctor’s recommendation for medical marijuana. Under the law, the LSU and Southern University have the right of refusal to be licensed medical cannabis producers.

If they both agree, as expected, they may seek out the private sector for consulting advice.

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry will set the cultivation rules, the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners will set rules on doctor recommendations, and the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy will be responsible for distribution regulations.