Louisiana does not issue medical marijuana cards to medical cannabis patients. The Alison Neustrom Act (Senate Bill 143) only requires persons with debilitating medical conditions to obtain recommendations (certifications) from licensed physicians. A medical marijuana patient in Louisiana must be re-evaluated by their physician and issued a certification for medical marijuana annually. The recommending physician will forward the patient's certification to the patient’s pharmacy (dispensary) of choice, usually the pharmacy near the patient’s residence.
Medical marijuana patients in Louisiana do not renew medical marijuana cards, as the state does not issue medical cannabis cards.
While Louisiana does not issue medical marijuana cards, medical cannabis certifications obtained from physicians are only valid for one year. Medical marijuana patients in the state must get new medical marijuana certifications from Louisiana-licensed physicians annually.
Medical marijuana patients in Louisiana must visit licensed physicians annually to obtain new medical marijuana certifications. The physicians must be residents of Louisiana and possess valid licenses from the Louisiana Board of Medical Examiners.
There is no medical marijuana renewal fee in Louisiana, as the state does not issue medical marijuana cards. However, physicians may require medical marijuana patients to pay certification fees when renewing their medical marijuana certifications. Generally, physician consultation and marijuana certification fees cost an average of $100.
There are no medical cannabis cards in Louisiana, as patients only need medical marijuana certifications from Louisiana-licensed physicians. Medical marijuana patients can obtain medical cannabis certifications from board-certified Louisiana physicians near them in the state.
Although Louisiana does not have a medical marijuana card system, the state accepts medical marijuana cards from out-of-state patients. Louisiana enacted Act 438 in 2022 to allow out-of-state patients with certain debilitating conditions and valid medical cannabis identification cards to access medical marijuana in the state. Such a patient must submit a copy of their medical marijuana identification card and their government-issued photo identification card to the licensed medical marijuana pharmacy before they can purchase medical cannabis in Louisiana.