Louisiana regulators are loosening limits on how many medical marijuana patients doctors authorized to dispense cannabis can treat. The move addresses concerns about bottlenecks to access.
Louisiana’s State Board of Medical Examiners agreed to remove a cap established in 2016 that limited physicians to 100 medical marijuana patients. The board voted 8-1 vote Monday to eliminate the patient limit.
Dr. Victor Chou, who has opened a medical marijuana clinic in Baton Rouge, reached the patient cap months ago and said hundreds of people are on his waiting list.
“Many of them feel locked out because they either cannot find physicians or the physicians they find already have hit the 100-patient limit,” Chou told the board.
Only 48 doctors have applied to dispense medical marijuana when it becomes available later this year. That has created concerns eligible patients will have difficulty getting the medication.
With a narrower 5-4 vote, the board also got rid of a rule that would have required medical marijuana patients to revisit their doctor every 90 days to continue getting therapeutic cannabis.
People seeking medical marijuana urged the board to end both restrictions.
