Ag Department In Line For Portion Of Medical Marijuana Sales

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana's agriculture department will get a slice of revenue from medical marijuana sales, if the governor agrees.

With a 91-4 vote Friday, lawmakers in the House gave final passage to the measure giving the department up to 7 percent of the revenue, to cover agency costs of regulating the drug.

The bill by Rep. Major Thibaut, a New Roads Democrat, also includes a list of fees the agriculture department would charge the medicinal plant's state-sanctioned grower, including a $100,000 annual incense fee and a $10,000 application fee.

The proposal heads next to Gov. John Bel Edwards.

Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says regulating the therapeutic drug will cost up to $700,000 annually.

Estimates are the state is up to two years away from medical marijuana sales.

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House Bill 1099: www.legis.la.gov