Smokable Medical Marijuana Now Available to Louisiana Patients

No matter how you choose to use marijuana it's still a drug. The same thing can be said for alcohol but the stigma with purchasing a drink is nothing compared to the stigma that comes with marijuana use. Well, at least that used to be the case but attitudes about marijuana and its benefits as a "medicine" have changed significantly over the past ten or so years.

Thanks to changes in Louisiana's medical marijuana laws a smokeable form of the medication is now available for doctors to prescribe. The smokeable form has always been the choice of street-level pharmacists but now the state's nine officially licensed medical marijuana pharmacies can now provide the drug in "flower" form as of January 1st.

Medical marijuana has been available in Louisiana in several forms including liquids, topical applications, tinctures, edible gummies, and inhalers. But many users of the medicine have found these delivery methods to either be ineffective or too costly for use as prescribed by their doctors. It is hoped providing the drug in a smokeable form will allow for better ease of use and a more cost-effective delivery method.

Medical marijuana has been available to Louisiana patients since 2019. State officials estimate that more than 28,000 of the state's residents have valid medical marijuana prescriptions. A surprising number of those that hold prescriptions for the drug are over the age of 65.

In order to be prescribed medical marijuana in Louisiana, a patient must be diagnosed with a condition or ailment the medicine has shown to be effective in treating. Here is a complete list of those conditions but among the most frequently mentioned by patients are chronic pain, seizure disorders, cancer treatment, and muscle spasms. Your doctor can also prescribe medical marijuana for other conditions if they believe the medicine will benefit the patient.

Currently, there are nine pharmacies across Louisiana that are licensed to dispense medical marijuana. The process works like this. A patient will visit a doctor authorized to prescribe medical marijuana. The physician will then transfer that prescription to one of the nine authorized pharmacies. The patient will then pick up the prescription at the pharmacy.

You will want to know that medical insurance does not cover medical marijuana. In fact, many pharmacies require that you pay for your prescription in cash. Most of that is because of the conflict in federal laws and federal banking laws regarding marijuana, which is still illegal according to the federal government. However, legislation is pending that could simplify or rewrite some of those statutes now that marijuana has been approved as medication in so many states.

One more thing to think about, whether it's obtained legally or not marijuana still affects your ability to think and alters your judgement. Therefore extra caution and precaution should be taken by those who use this medication. Be sure you follow your doctor's orders and always read and follow label directions.

Speaking of medicines, this stuff certainly works and if you scroll down a little you'll be surprised at all the different uses you can find for it.