Flower is the difference between Louisiana and 31 of the 32 other states that have a functioning medical Cannabis program in place.  It is the linchpin in any successful program because it is a far cheaper form of the medicine and it comprises over 50%, on average, of sales in all other healthy medical Cannabis states.

As you know, we have only tinctures in Louisiana – no flower.  That means that patients can’t buy legal Cannabis flower to either cook with, to vaporize, to use in the creation of their own tinctures or otherwise.  HB 385 is the bill that would change everything.

It’s the most important piece of legislation this year or in any year since the Alison Neustrom medical Cannabis program began in 2016.  The bill sponsor is Representative Ted James (D) of Baton Rouge.  The bill was scheduled to be considered in the House Health and Welfare Committee last Wednesday, May 13th, but was pulled without explanation.  With your help, it could pass.

Without your help, it cannot pass.
Without your help, the program will suffer mightily and will otherwise merely struggle along until next legislative session if it survives at all.

The simple fact is that too few patients are involved and so it just isn’t a viable business in the state.  This is how the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association (LSA) and others want it to be.  If you don’t think that the LSA should have any role in the doctor-patient relationship or, for that matter, issues of public health, please contact Representatives Larry Bagley (Chairman of House Health and Welfare) and Ted James (bill sponsor) to request that the bill be added back to the agenda and considered on Tuesday, May 19th at 9:00am.

This is the very last chance we have to save this critical bill, provide medicine for the masses and prevent Louisiana from becoming more of the laughing stock of our country on another issue for another year.

Here’s how you do it:  call these two numbers and/or email these two email addresses (below) and courteously and professionally ask these gentlemen/allies, “Please add HB 385 back to the agenda of the Health and Welfare Committee and hold a vote to pass this critical legislation for the patients of our state.

(1) Chairman Larry Bagley
Phone: (318) 925-9588
bagleyl@legis.la.gov
Legislative Assistant: Brandy Pearce

and

(2) Representative Ted James
Phone: (225) 343-3633
james.ted@legis.la.gov
Legislative Assistant: Claire Stevenson

Want to go the extra mile?
Then grab a mask and gloves and go down to the Capitol (the “people’s house”) on Tuesday morning to pack the Committee room and demand a properly functioning medical Cannabis program – demand the removal of restrictions against flower. Remember, only two jurisdictions out of 33 states + Washington D.C. prohibit flower (“raw or crude” form) and those two states are the only two failing programs: Louisiana and Minnesota.

ALL COMMENTS, WHETHER EMAILED OR BY PHONE, MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE INTENDED LEGISLATOR(S) NO LATER THAN MONDAY, MAY 18TH AT 9am!

Attention: Anyone wishing to attend and submit written information to the committee – Only statements emailed to jacksonf@legis.la.gov and received prior to 3:00 p.m., Monday, May 18, 2020, will be included in the record for this committee meeting. All persons desiring to participate in the meeting shall utilize appropriate protective health measures and observe the recommended and appropriate social distancing.