Louisiana’s first medical cannabis harvest to start this week

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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 Times-Picayune reported.

Here’s what you need to know:
  • GB Sciences says it could have product packaged and ready to ship by the middle of next month. However, regulations have made it unclear when medical marijuana will be commercially available in the state.
  • The agency that regulates the medical marijuana program, the state Department of Agriculture and Forestry, has not identified an independent, third-party lab to test the product before it ships to dispensaries.
  • This testing is a requirement of the program, and the agency expects proposals from labs this month.

– Associated Press