This bill revises Louisiana's laws concerning the production and sale of therapeutic marijuana by transferring regulatory authority from the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy to the Louisiana Department of Health, effective January 1, 2025. It establishes the Department of Health as the overseer of marijuana retail permits, which replaces the previous "marijuana pharmacy licenses." The bill also extends the therapeutic marijuana program's termination date and clarifies the legal framework for marijuana sales, including conditions for retailer and producer immunity from prosecution under the state-sponsored medical marijuana program. Additionally, it introduces new operational requirements for retail establishments, such as maintaining connectivity to the Louisiana Medical Marijuana Tracking System and appointing a licensed pharmacist to oversee operations.

Furthermore, the legislation sets specific limits on marijuana sales, allowing retailers to sell no more than 2.5 ounces every fourteen days to individual patients, and outlines the process for renewing and selecting retail permits. It caps the total number of retail locations, including satellite locations, at thirty and mandates that at least one retailer be present in each administrative region. The bill also includes provisions for home delivery, record-keeping for sales to visiting patients, and data collection by the Department of Health. Certain existing provisions are repealed, and the bill allows for the continuation of wholesale activities by retail permit holders until new regulations are established, with the overall aim of enhancing patient access to therapeutic marijuana in Louisiana.

Statutes affected:
HB376 Original: 40:1046(H)(2)
HB376 Engrossed: 40:1046(L)
HB376 Enrolled: 40:966(F)(2), 40:1046(A)(1), 40:1(A), 40:2(F), 40:4(B), 40:1046(C)(2)
HB376 Act 693: 40:966(F)(2), 40:1046(A)(1), 40:1(A), 40:2(F), 40:4(B), 40:1046(C)(2)