The bill revises Louisiana's laws concerning the therapeutic use of marijuana, focusing on the regulatory framework, licensing, and operational standards for production facilities. Notable changes include extending the active patient count review period from three months to twenty-four months and limiting the Louisiana Department of Health to issuing no more than two licenses for the cultivation, extraction, processing, production, and transportation of therapeutic marijuana. These licenses will be valid for one year and can be renewed upon application and fee payment. Additionally, the Department of Health will implement a competitive bidding process for selecting new licensees if a current license is revoked or returned.

The legislation also allows research on therapeutic marijuana by Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Southern University Agricultural Center, and the University of Louisiana at Monroe, while extending the sunset provision of the current law from January 1, 2025, to July 1, 2030. The bill introduces new requirements for the handling of therapeutic marijuana waste, mandates weekly inventory of marijuana, and emphasizes compliance with safety and testing protocols. Licensees must maintain material safety data sheets for chemicals used, generate inventory manifests for transportation, and ensure that all products undergo random testing by approved laboratories before sale. The act will take effect upon the governor's signature or after the designated period for bills to become law without a signature.

Statutes affected:
SB228 Original: 40:1046(H)(1)
SB228 Engrossed: 28:826(B)(1), 28:826(B)(2), 40:1046(H), 40:2(A), 40:2(B), 40:2(B)(1), 40:2(C)(2), 40:2(D), 40:2(D)(1), 40:2(D)(2), 40:2(E), 40:2(E)(1), 40:2(F), 40:2(F)(1), 40:2(F)(2), 40:2(H)(3), 40:2(I), 40:2(I)(1), 40:4(A)(1)
SB228 Reengrossed: 28:826(B)(1), 28:826(B)(2), 40:1046(H), 40:2(A), 40:2(B), 40:2(B)(1), 40:2(C)(2), 40:2(D), 40:2(D)(1), 40:2(D)(2), 40:2(E), 40:2(E)(1), 40:2(F), 40:2(F)(1), 40:2(F)(2), 40:2(H)(3), 40:2(I), 40:2(I)(1), 40:4(A)(1)
SB228 Enrolled: 40:1046(G)(3), 40:2(A), 40:2(B), 40:2(B)(1), 40:2(C)(2), 40:2(D), 40:2(D)(1), 40:2(D)(2), 40:2(E), 40:2(E)(1), 40:2(F), 40:2(F)(1), 40:2(F)(2), 40:2(H)(3), 40:2(I), 40:2(I)(1), 40:4(A)(1)
SB228 Act : 40:1046(G)(3), 40:2(A), 40:2(B), 40:2(B)(1), 40:2(C)(2), 40:2(D), 40:2(D)(1), 40:2(D)(2), 40:2(E), 40:2(E)(1), 40:2(F), 40:2(F)(1), 40:2(F)(2), 40:2(H)(3), 40:2(I), 40:2(I)(1), 40:4(A)(1)