Louisiana is exploring a pilot program to test the feasibility of an adult-use cannabis legalization in the state.
The Adult-Use Cannabis Pilot Program Regulation and Enforcement Act, introduced by Democratic state Rep. Candace Newell, would allow existing medical marijuana dispensaries to participate.
If House Bill 373 is approved, Louisiana adult-use cannabis sales would launch next year and run through 2030, with strict oversight by the Louisiana Department of Health and a 3.5% fee on wholesale cannabis sales, according to Filter, an online publication covering issues related to drug policy.
Participation would be limited to the state’s existing 10 dispensaries to serve both medical and recreational consumers.
The proposal builds on the success of Louisiana’s tightly regulated medical marijuana program, which was signed into law in 2016 with sales launching three years later.
John Davis, president of licensed cultivator Good Day Farm Louisiana, recently said the program’s success is a result of the number of patients doubling to 150,000 over two years, falling prices and limited competition – there are just two growers and 10 dispensaries in the state.
With 150,000 patients in the state, Louisiana medical marijuana participation stands at 3.5%.
“The program has matured,” Davis said at a Rotary Club meeting as reported by The Advocate.
“It’s scaled, and most importantly, compared to all these other states that got out ahead of us, here we’re safe, we’re consistent, we’re regulated, we have oversight, and we have economic stability, which is not seen in other states.”
