Louisiana becomes latest state to offer medical marijuana

Louisiana just began dispensing medical marijuana to patients who need it, four years after state lawmakers initially approved the measure. Louisiana is also the first of the five Deep South states to do so, and joins a list of more than 30 states to offer the substance in some form. Nine pharmacies in the state have been licensed to dispense marijuana, which they can get from two state-sanctioned growers. The law allows physicians to “recommend” marijuana for the treatment for a range of diseases including cancer, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease as federal law prohibits physicians from prescribing the drug. Insurance companies won’t be covering the cost of medical marijuana, so patients will have to pay out of pocket for the products, which could cost upward of $99.