BATON ROUGE, La. — Gov. John Bel Edwards has agreed to match Louisiana’s drug laws to conform with its medical marijuana program, so someone who gets the therapeutic drug legally can’t be prosecuted.
The governor’s office announced this week that Edwards signed the bill by Republican Sen. Fred Mills into law. It takes effect Aug. 1.
Louisiana medical marijuana news
Signed and dotted: Louisiana medical marijuana bill signed
No debate here: No debate to speed up Louisiana’s medical marijuana bill
Weed news and interviews: Get podcasts of The Cannabist Show.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.
Watch The Cannabist Show.
Peruse our Cannabist-themed merchandise (T’s, hats, hoodies) at Cannabist Shop.
The measure aims to protect patients of the state-sponsored medical marijuana program from laws that penalize people for possession or distribution of marijuana. It also extends that protection to a patient’s caregiver and the parents of a minor who receives medical marijuana.
The final version of the bill passed with a 29-7 Senate vote and 67-21 House vote.
Louisiana is still 18 months or more away from getting medical marijuana into patients’ hands.
___
