Second medical marijuana provider in Louisiana poised to roll out products

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Only two entities in Louisiana – both colleges – are authorized to produce medical marijuana for patients, and Southern University on Wednesday is expected to join Louisiana State in rolling out its first product line.

Southern’s product debut is also an industry landmark because the Baton Rouge university is the only historically Black college in the United States allowed to produced medical marijuana, according to a news release.

Southern, in conjunction with Ilera Holistic Healthcare, will launch a brand line called AYO. The university will also sell hemp-based CBD products from ALAFIA, a brand that will launch later this year, according to the release.

The product launch comes on the heels of an expansion of the state’s MMJ program that will allow an increased number of physicians to recommend medical cannabis for any ailment.

The other university licensed to grow and dispense medical marijuana in the market, Louisiana State, began supplying pharmacies with MMJ when sales officially began in summer 2019.