Legislation allowing those with a medical marijuana prescription access to an inhalable form of the treatment is headed to the Governor’s desk.
Bill sponsor Baton Rouge Representative Ted James says the pill or oil-based forms of the treatment sometimes aren’t fast acting enough to respond to an urgent situation, such as an episode of PTSD…
“Just like you have an asthma inhaler, with a couple of puffs you can get that immediate relief.”
Proponents add that inhaling the product does not mean patients are smoking it like recreational marijuana.
The legislation ultimately gained final passage in the House a unanimous vote, but initially failed in the Senate. James says legislators mind were changed after Senators started receiving calls from constituents who had experience with the treatment in other states…
“That’s why it is so important for people to play a role in the legislative process, because those are the calls that really change hearts and change minds.”
As it stands though there’s no forms of medical marijuana, inhalable or otherwise, available to the public as a regulatory dispute involving the Department of Agriculture and the grower has stalled the crop’s growth. James says if this gridlock continues, the Legislature will intervene on behalf of patients.
“You present a bill, it becomes law, things should happen. I know in other states things that take weeks have taken us months, and it’s just unacceptable.”
