Two years ago lawmakers legalized certain products containing THC. It has grown into a multi-million dollar industry. Now it is steps away from being illegal again.
NEW ORLEANS — In 2022, state lawmakers in Louisiana legalized some products containing THC, somewhat by accident. The recreational cannabis industry has seen a multi-million dollar boom since then. Soon, the House will vote on a bill that would make it illegal once again.
Stacks of flyers sit by each register at Simply Cannabis’ Mid-City store, urging customers to call representatives and voice their opposition to the bill. The store, which has three locations across the city, sells seltzers, gummies, tinctures, and other products containing THC. “We would have to shut down completely,” said store manager Jeffrey Wells.
The bill would partially repeal a 2022 state law. Then-House Speaker Rep. Clay Schexnayder authored it, intending to expand the legal uses of hemp in Louisiana. Hemp is nearly the same plant as marijuana but contains much less of the main psychoactive ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.
Among other uses, the law authorized edible products such as those sold at Simply Cannabis as long as they didn’t contain more than 0.3% THC. It did not, however, specify how many servings could be sold in each package. This essentially legalized recreational THC products in Louisiana.
The industry has grown rapidly since. Sales of recreational hemp products jumped to $33 million in 2023, according to the Louisiana Cannabis Association, and many new storefronts appeared. “Our customer base is everyone,” said Wells, “it ranges from 21-year-olds to 90-year-olds, we have grandmothers coming in because they say this helps them sleep better every night.”
Now, the industry could be shut down entirely. In this legislative session, Sen. Thomas Pressly, a Republican from Shreveport, introduces SB 237. It would make the sale of products containing any amount of THC illegal in Louisiana once again.
“I have severe concerns about the way this legislation came into action in 2022,” said Sen. Pressly Tuesday. He, along with both supporters and opponents of the bill, testified before the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee for two hours. He argued the health risks of THC were not understood well enough to allow substantial amounts to be sold in Louisiana, and that the lack of a serving size limit meant the industry was essentially unregulated. “It’s not something we should be doing and it’s something that we need to do a course correction on,” he said.
The bill easily passed through the Senate and the committee reported it favorably by a vote of 7-5. Next, it will be voted on by the full House, and from there it will only need the governor’s signature to become law.
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