House lawmakers have overwhelmingly approved two bills to amend the state’s medical marijuana program in a manner that significantly expands patients’ access to cannabis products.
House Bill 819, which House members passed by a vote of 77 to 15, expands the discretion of physicians so that they can recommend cannabis therapy for “any condition” that he or she “considers debilitating to an individual patient and is qualified through his [or her] medical education and training to treat.” Under the current law, doctors may only recommend medical cannabis products to those patients with a limited number of select conditions, such as HIV and cancer.
House lawmakers also passed a second bill, House Bill 792, by a vote of 81 to 13. The measure establishes regulations permitting the home delivery of medical cannabis products to registered patients.
Both measures now await further action by members of the Louisiana Senate. The state’s legislative session concludes at 6pm on Monday, June 1, 2020.
The state’s medical cannabis program became operational last August.
