Are you interested in getting a Medical Marijuana Card in Louisiana? You’ve come to the right place. We hope this article acts as a valuable guide to help you understand the process of applying for your medical marijuana recommendation letter. We keep this information up to date to make sure it is accurate and makes your journey as simple as possible. Keep reading to find out more.
Please note that there is no medical marijuana card system in Louisiana. There is a certification process, but there will be no email sent to you. Instead, you select a dispensary and the qualifying physician will contact the dispensary to confirm that you are a registered patient.
Table of content
- Getting a Louisiana Medical Marijuana Card Online
- Who Can Apply?
- What Does an MMJ Certificate Permit in Louisiana?
- How do I Apply?
- What Does my Online Medical Marijuana Evaluation with Leafwell Include?
- How Much Does it Cost?
- What Conditions Qualify for a Medical Marijuana Certificate in Louisiana?
- What Documents Do I Need to Apply for a Medical Cannabis Certificate?
- Do I Need to Present my Medical Records to Leafwell?
- How Does a Caregiver Apply for a Medical Marijuana Certificate?
- Can a Qualifying Patient Grow Cannabis in Louisiana?
- Are my Details Kept Confidential When I Apply for a Medical Marijuana Certificate?
- Does Louisiana Have Medical Marijuana Reciprocity?
- Getting a Medical Marijuana Certificate in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Bossier City
- History of Medical Marijuana Laws in Louisiana
- Louisiana Medical Marijuana Laws
- Useful Links
Getting a Louisiana Medical Marijuana Card Online
Louisiana has recently relaxed its restrictions on medical marijauna recommendations, with a new bill coming into effect on 1 August 2020. From that date, doctors are able to recommend medical marijauna for any patients if they believe the use of medical marijuana would be of benefit.
Previously, there were strict restrictions and requirements on doctors in Louisiana who were registered to sign certificates. These restrictions have lifted but we recommend only speaking with a doctor who has experience with patients who are using medical marijuana.
However, Leafwell works with a number of state licensed physicians who are experienced with providing medical marijuana recommendations and have been doing so for a long time.
Please note, there are no medical marijauna cards in Louisiana. Instead, all you need is a certificate of recommendation from a state licensed doctor, which will be sent directly to a dispensary of your choice. You can request a copy of the certificate from your pharmacy.
With Leafwell, it is quick and simple and secure to get a Louisiana Medical Marijuana recommendation letter online. We’ve put together this valuable guide which will answer all your questions and help individuals living in Louisiana State understand the importance of applying for their Louisiana MMJ recommendation letter or certificate via the easy, HIPAA Compliant process offered by Leafwell’s telemedicine platform. You can visit our Ultimate Guide to Getting a Medical Marijuana Card for more general information.
Who Can Apply?
To apply for a Medical Marijuana Certificate in Louisiana, you must be a legal resident of Louisiana State.
There is no age restriction on the application but if the patient is under 18 and autistic, they may be allocated a caregiver. Other minors can apply on behalf of themselves.
Patients under 18 must have a primary caregiver and pediatric sub-specialist recommend their medical cannabis certification.
Registered caregivers must be aged 21 or over. A registered caregiver may apply on behalf of a minor who has been diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder. They must be the minor’s parent or legal guardian.
What Does an MMJ Certificate Permit in Louisiana?
Anyone who is holding a medical marijuana certificate is permitted to be in possession of a maximum of 30 day supply (total amount determined by physician) of any of the following products:
- Extracts
- Oils
- Pills
- Tinctures
- Solutions
- Suspensions
- Chewables
- Lotions
- Patches
- Sprays
- Suppositories
Every patient is different and your physician may recommend a specific form for you. In 2019, the legislature approved allowing the vaporization of marijuana via a “metered-dose inhaler.”
It is now also legal for medical marijuana patients registered to the state medical cannabis program to purchase up to two and a half ounces of medical cannabis flower per 14 day period from licensed providers. This law took effect on January 1st, 2022 after Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards (D) signed House Bill 391 into law.
The Louisiana laws are strict and if a patient or caregiver is found to be knowingly possessing more than their 30-day supply of medical marijauna, they may face up to six months in prison and a fine of $500 (if it is their first offence).
How do I Apply?
With Leafwell, you can get your Louisiana Medical Marijuana Certificate in 3 simple steps:
1. Register online with Leafwell
You can speak to a doctor and qualify for a Louisiana medical marijuana card online. The cost of the online consultation is $199 or $149 if you want to renew an existing card. You are only billed if approved.
2. Attend your appointment and discuss with your physician why you would like an MMJ Card
The doctor will ask you questions based on your medical history and provide you with advice and guidance on whether medical marijuana is a good choice for you.
3. Be certified at your chosen pharmacy by Leafwell
Your Leafwell physician will contact your nominated dispensary to complete the necessary process of confirming that you are now a medical marijuana patient.
4. Start legally buying medical marijuana
Note that there are no ‘cards’ – your selected dispensary of choice will be told by our physician that you are an eligible patient and you just need to show regular ID to purchase. If you want a copy of your certificate, your chosen pharmacy can provide you with one. Leafwell cannot provide you with a copy directly.
Patients are not required to join a state registry.
What Does my Online Medical Marijuana Evaluation with Leafwell Include?
Your online medical marijuana evaluation with Leafwell is quick and easy. In order to get started, we’ll need you to provide us with some preliminary details and you can also upload some medical records if you have any which are relevant. These are all passed securely to one of our registered practitioners who can familiarise themselves with your application before your consultation.
The consultation itself is simple and secure, taking place on our bespoke telemedicine platform. You will meet with a Louisiana registered practitioner who has experience issuing certificates for medical marijuana to patients for a range of medical issues. The registered practitioner will speak with you about why you are applying and ask some questions with regards to your medical conditions and history.
At the end of the consultation, the registered practitioner will be able to make an informed decision about whether he or she recommends the use of medical cannabis based on the medical information they have obtained. If an application is successful, the registered practitioner will complete the certification which will be promptly emailed to your chosen dispensary.
If an application is unsuccessful, you will not be charged for the consultation.
Once obtained the certification will last for one year.
How Much Does it Cost?
The initial consultation with one of the Louisiana Registered Practitioners via Leafwell’s HIPAA compliant online consultation service is a one off fee of $199. However, if you do not qualify for an MMJ Certificate and our practitioner elects not to sign your certificate, you will not be charged. A renewal with Leafwell costs $149.
Insurance does not currently cover the cost of applying for an MMJ Certificate in Louisiana because cannabis is illegal at a federal level.
What Conditions Qualify for a Medical Marijuana Certificate in Louisiana?
For your application to be successful, a registered practitioner must certify a permanent or temporary diagnosis of one or more of the conditions listed under Louisiana law.
On 1st August 2020 a new bill came into effect in Louisiana. In addition to listing a number of additional qualifying conditions, the law also permitted physicians to recommend cannabis for any condition which they as medical professionals ‘considers debilitating to an individual patient’, essentially opening up the bill to the discretion of the physician.
According to Louisiana law in 2021, the following conditions may qualify you for a medical marijuana certificate in Louisiana:
- ALS
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Cancer
- Chronic pain associated with fibromyalgia or sickle cell disease
- Communication difficulties or avoidance that jeopardizes the patient’s physical health
- Concussion
- Crohn’s Disease
- Destructive or physically aggressive behaviors
- Glaucoma
- HIV/AIDS
- Huntington’s Disease
- Intractable pain
- Lewy Body Dementia
- Motor Neuron Disease
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Seizure Disorders
- Self-Injuring Behaviors
- Severe Muscle Spasms
- Spasticity
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy
- Traumatic brain injury
- Wasting Syndrome/Cachexia
The definition of ‘intractable pain’ is:
“a pain state in which the cause of the pain cannot be removed or otherwise treated with the consent of the patient and which, in the generally accepted course of medical practice, no relief or cure for the cause of the pain is possible, or none has been found after reasonable efforts. It is pain so chronic and severe as to otherwise warrant an opiate prescription.”
Certain conditions associated with autism spectrum disorder also qualify to be treated with medical marijuana. They include the following:
- Repetitive or self-stimulatory behavior of such severity that the physical health of the person with autism is jeopardized
- Avoidance of others or inability to communicate of such severity that the physical health of the person with autism is jeopardized
- Self-injuring behavior
- Physically aggressive or destructive behavior
What Documents Do I Need to Apply for a Medical Cannabis Certificate?
In order to apply for your MMJ Certificate in Louisiana, you will need to show your signed certificate which provides proof of your condition as well as your identification documents. You should gather together the following:
- ID
- Proof of residency
- A signed certificate (which can be obtained via Leafwell)
Below are all of the acceptable forms these documents may take.
Acceptable ID
- Valid, unexpired Driver’s License
- State-produced Identification Card
- Passport
Acceptable proof of residency
- Bank statement
- Utility bill
- Correspondence with a state department
Do I Need to Present my Medical Records to Leafwell?
No, it is not necessary for our healthcare providers to see your medical records. If you have them, we encourage you to upload them as it helps the healthcare provider during the consultation to get a clear overview of your health and history but it is not a legal requirement for the records to be provided.
How Does a Caregiver Apply for a Medical Marijuana Certificate?
Some patients may be eligible for an MMJ Certificate but unable to apply for one themselves. Should the patient be a minor under the age of 18 and diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, a caregiver can be allocated. This caregiver must be a parent or legal guardian.
There is currently no information about whether a patient in need of assistance accessing medical cannabis can be assigned a caregiver to complete the process on their behalf.
Can a Qualifying Patient Grow Cannabis in Louisiana?
No. Cultivating cannabis is illegal in the state of Louisiana for qualified medical marijuana patients.It is not legal at this time for anyone within the State of Louisiana to grow marijuana for any purpose. Only licensed production facilities will be allowed to grow medical marijuana under Louisiana law. Growing marijuana for any purpose is still illegal under the federal law.
Are my Details Kept Confidential When I Apply for a Medical Marijuana Certificate?
Yes. Leafwell is committed to protecting the privacy of our patients. Our online service is HIPAA compliant and our systems are designed to keep all of your confidential details safe.
Does Louisiana Have Medical Marijuana Reciprocity?
Some states accept out-of-state Medical Marijuana Cards. This is called reciprocity. The following states accept out-of-state medical cannabis cards:
- Alaska ^
- Arkansas *
- California ^
- Colorado ^
- Hawaii *
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Nevada
- Oklahoma *
- Oregon ^
- Puerto Rico
- Washington ^
- Washington D.C.
States marked with * require visitors to complete a visiting patient application for the duration of their stay.
States marked with ^ have adult use programs but do not accept out of state cards.
Getting a Medical Marijuana Certificate in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette and Bossier City
When it comes to obtaining your MMJ certificate from a licensed Louisiana physician, your geography does not matter. All that is required is that you are a resident of the state and that the doctor is a licensed physician in the state of Louisiana.
Some local jurisdictions in Louisiana have either fully or partially decriminalized the possession of small amounts of cannabis. Baton Rouge and New Orleans have decriminalized it entirely. We recommend you look up laws in your own city to see if there are any differences between city and state levels.
Non-medical cannabis possession has been made a misdemeanor in Louisiana, with possession of up to 14g (just under a half-ounce) attracting lower penalties of a $100 fine and no jail time. Altough this is similar to decriminalization, it is not decriminalization.
Leafwell does not currently have any dispensaries which we are partnering with but check back here soon to stay up to date. There are currently 9 approved dispensaries in the state.
Remember: you don’t have to visit a clinic in-person in order to qualify for a certificate & MMJ card in Louisiana – you can do it all online, with Leafwell!
History of Medical Marijuana Laws in Louisiana
Here is a brief overview of the history of medical marijuana legislation in Louisiana:
- 1978 – the therapeutic marijuana legislation was first enacted making it one of the earliest states to do so but it only included patients with glaucoma and undergoing chemotherapy treatment
Due to the wording of the bill, patients never actually received this medicine. - 1991 – spastic quadriplegia was added to the list of qualifying conditions but the language still meant it wasn’t enforceable.
- 2015 – Governor Bobby Jindal signed a law which set up a framework designed to allow the dispensing of marijuana for medical purposes.
- 2016 – a new law went into effect to exempt medical marijuana patients and caregivers from state prosecution
- August 1, 2019 – the first round of medical marijauna was cleared for release and the first dispensaries were able to open
- August 1, 2020 – a patient can qualify if they have a condition which their doctor “considers debilitating to an individual patient” and their doctor must be “qualified through medical education and training to treat”
- August 1, 2021 – Non-medical cannabis is “decriminalized” House Bill 652 (H 652) makeS possession of 14 grams or less — about half an ounce — a misdemeanor in all cases and limit the fine to $100 with no jail time
Louisiana Medical Marijuana Laws
Louisiana has strict driving while under the influence of drugs laws. If you’re caught driving with certain levels of THC in your system, you risk fines and a criminal record, as well also the loss of your license.
It is illegal to consume medical marijuana in public, even if you are in possession of your certificate.
Useful Links
To find out more about getting a Medical Marijuana Certificate in Louisiana, get in touch with the expert Leafwell team today or use any of these verified resources below:
