Before the Bayou State medical cannabis program broadened in 2020, the following conditions were the only disorders eligible for treatment:

• Cachexia or wasting disorder
• Cancer
• Crohn’s Disease
• Epilepsy
• Glaucoma
• HIV/AIDS
• Intractable pain
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Muscular Dystrophy
• Parkinson’s Disease
• PTSD
• Seizure disorders

However, that changed. Now according to the law, any health disorder that “a physician, in his medical opinion, considers debilitating to an individual patient and is qualified through his medical education and training to treat.” Therefore, the Louisiana medical cannabis card program is expanding to allow physicians to prescribe medical cannabis for treatment of conditions outside of the original list of qualifying conditions.

Additionally, all patients must be able to prove residency, supplying a valid driver’s license or state identification card upon application. The state does not require patients to register or receive a medical marijuana card. The physician will fax patient certifications directly to the dispensary of your choice.

Unlike other states, there is no particular application program in the state of Louisiana that must be completed to apply for medical marijuana. Initially, patients will have to meet a doctor to talk about their condition. Once you obtain a valid doctor’s recommendation and are finally entitled to medicinal cannabis in the state, you will be registered to the program, at which time you can visit a cannabis pharmacy to purchase legal medication.

A Louisiana caregiver must:

• Be 21-years-old or older to purchase and help administer medical cannabis to a patient
• Have significant responsibility for managing the well-being of a patient
• Not have been convicted of a disqualifying felony offense
• Assists no more than five qualifying patients with their therapeutic use 3 of cannabis, unless the designated caregiver’s qualifying patients each reside in or are 4 admitted to a healthcare facility or residential care facility where the designated 5 caregiver is employed.

Like the patient, the caregiver must also prove residency by submitting a driver’s license or state identification card.

To renew your Louisiana medical marijuana card through FadeMD, you’ll need to schedule a renewal appointment with one of our physicians. They can confirm that you still need medical cannabis for your qualifying condition and help you with the renewal process. We will remind you when it’s almost time for your renewal appointment, or you can reach out to our Customer Service Department so we can assist you and apply a renewal discount for you.

A medical marijuana card in Louisiana is valid for one year.

Louisiana allows patients to possess up to a 30-day supply of medical cannabis in any form other than flower. The state has two medical cannabis facilities that produce different forms of cannabis, including oil, tincture, topicals, capsules, gelatin-based chewables, and inhalers, all of which are sold in nine state-wide pharmacies conveniently located throughout Louisiana.

The Justice Department proposed a new rule to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug, which would ease federal restrictions on cannabis if approved. This reclassification would not legalize or decriminalize marijuana nationwide but would place it on the same regulatory level as ketamine and anabolic steroids. Currently, marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug, meaning it has "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse." The proposed change would recognize marijuana as having "a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence."

The proposal initiates a months-long comment and administrative period before any changes take effect. This follows President Biden's 2022 request for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Justice Department to review marijuana's classification. HHS found credible scientific evidence supporting marijuana's medical use. The notice of proposed rulemaking reflects the attorney general's agreement with HHS's recommendation. President Biden hailed the move as "monumental," emphasizing marijuana policy as a priority of his administration, which has also worked to pardon those convicted of simple possession.