The initial crop of legal medical marijuana in Louisiana has made it through the first round of laboratory testing, clearing an important checkpoint to legal sales. The cannabis grown by GB Sciences passed each laboratory inspection conducted by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Baton Rouge TV station WAFB reported. The medical marijuana was tested for potency, […]
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Marijuana business sues Louisiana after state nixes its testing lab application
A New Orleans-based company is suing the state of Louisiana, claiming that its application to be an independent medical cannabis testing laboratory was improperly rejected. The lack of an independent testing lab is the latest development to delay Louisiana’s medical marijuana program, which was initially expected to become operational in late 2018. Product now isn’t […]
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Louisiana medical marijuana sales won’t begin before May
Another delay of Louisiana’s medical marijuana program means MMJ products likely won’t be available in the state until May at the earliest, according to The Times-Picayune of New Orleans. The lack of an independent testing lab in large part has been holding up the program, which initially was expected to launch in late 2018. More […]
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Louisiana cannabis grower raises questions about state’s MMJ testing blueprint
Louisiana’s only operating medical marijuana grower is uneasy about the state’s plan to test the crop itself instead of using third-party laboratories. The president of licensed grower GB Sciences Louisiana, John Davis, said the Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s new regulatory scheme complicates procedures such as appealing contested test results. “If I disagree … or […]
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New cannabis business takes over Louisiana MMJ grower contract
Pennsylvania-based Ilera Holistic Healthcare is taking over the contract to grow medical marijuana on behalf of Louisiana’s Southern University for the state’s MMJ program. Shreveport TV station KTBS reported that the company with the initial contract – Advanced Biomedics – never became operational because of disputes between the owners. Ilera bought the 68% stake in Advanced […]
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Louisiana medical marijuana sales delayed by lack of testing lab
A failure to find an independent testing lab will delay medical marijuana sales in Louisiana at least until January, roughly two months after the market was originally anticipated to launch. The lack of an independent lab also means Louisiana’s Department of Agriculture department will handle product testing for now, The Advocate reported. GB Sciences, one […]
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Louisiana’s first medical cannabis harvest to start this week
The first legal crop of medical marijuana in Louisiana is set to be harvested this week. However, testing is still necessary before product can ship, and the state hasn’t yet selected a third-party laboratory. The licensed grower working with the Louisiana State University Agriculture Center, GB Sciences, expects to start the drying process by next week, The […]
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LA lifts medical marijuana patient caps for doctors to boost market’s viability
Louisiana regulators agreed to eliminate the 100-patient limit for doctors authorized to recommend medical marijuana, a move aimed at removing a potential stumbling block for a market that’s expected to launch late this year. The State Board of Medical Examiners voted 8-1 on Monday to remove the cap established in 2016. By a narrower 5-4 […]
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State leaders seek banking solution for cannabis industry
Louisiana’s top banking regulator has joined colleagues in other marijuana-legal states asking the U.S. Congress to clear the way for banks to do business with the marijuana industry. John Ducrest, commissioner of Louisiana’s Office of Financial Institutions, was one of the state financial regulators who signed a letter to congressional leaders last week seeking “safe […]
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Louisiana regulators consider upping medical cannabis patient limits for doctors
Louisiana may boost the cap on the number of patients doctors can serve to avert potential bottlenecks in its medical marijuana program, a state official said this week. Here’s some background on the situation: The Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners (LSBME) established a limit of 100 medical marijuana patients per physician in 2016, with […]
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Louisiana expected to begin growing medical cannabis Aug. 17
Louisiana’s first legal crop of medical marijuana can be planted this week. Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain, whose agency regulates the state’s burgeoning industry, loosened a regulatory logjam that created a monthslong delay. Strain’s team met with Louisiana State University AgCenter Chancellor Bill Richardson and the head of the school’s marijuana contractor, GB Sciences Louisiana, to […]
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Regulatory delay holds up Louisiana’s medical marijuana program
Louisiana’s first medical marijuana crop will take longer than expected to reach patients, and that has some dispensing pharmacies in the state anxious. GB Sciences, the grower for the LSU AgCenter, hoped to provide product to Louisiana’s nine licensed medical marijuana pharmacies by September. But the company told The News-Star the earliest harvest likely will be in […]
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