BATON ROUGE, La. – Hopes that Louisiana’s government will expand the number of businesses allowed to grow and dispense medical marijuana have hit a snag.
Gov. John Bel Edwards and House Speaker Clay Schexnayder – both key leaders in turning any bill into law – said in recent days they don’t want to see a dramatic change in Louisiana’s insular medical marijuana licensing regime.
Currently, only two businesses are allowed to grow the drug, and only nine pharmacies are licensed to sell it to patients. The two growers are private companies partnered with the LSU and Southern University agriculture centers. The nine pharmacies are spread in different regions of the state.
Schexnayder, a Gonzales Republican, said he doesn’t have an objection to permitting more pharmacies. But in an interview, he said he’s against letting more companies grow marijuana.
Read more on the state’s medical marijuana business from our news partner The Advocate.
