How To Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Louisiana

The medical cannabis program of Louisiana is unique, as there is no medical marijuana card per se in the form of a physical card. Your doctor’s written recommendation for cannabis becomes the basis for purchasing the drug from a legitimate retailer.

Medical marijuana was legalized in Louisiana in 2015 via the Senate Bill 143, and later in 2020, physicians were granted broader powers to recommend cannabis for any debilitating condition. In January 2022, raw smokable marijuana flowers were legalized in Louisiana. Starting in January 2025, under Act 693 of 2024, the Louisiana Department of Health will take responsibility for regulating cannabis retail operations.

Recreational marijuana is not legalized in Louisiana.

The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) began regulating medicinal cannabis dispensaries on January 1, 2025. There are ten licensed medicinal marijuana dispensaries in Louisiana, allowing each of them to have two satellite dispensaries.

• Website: ldh.la.gov/page/medical-marijuana 

To access medical cannabis in Louisiana, you must:

• Be a Louisiana resident
• Be 18 years of age or older (minors may qualify with a parent or guardian as caregiver)
• Obtain a recommendation from a licensed Louisiana healthcare provider

There are no felony disqualifications in Louisiana’s program – a prior criminal record does not affect eligibility.

All providers must maintain satisfactory status with the licensing board of their state and establish a legitimate provider-patient relationship with the patient. Eligible recommenders include:

• Physicians (MDs and DOs) registered with the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners
• Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are authorized to prescribe medications by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing
• Medical Psychologists registered with the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners

No additional license or authorization from the state is necessary for the issuance of a recommendation.

Louisiana boasts one of the most comprehensive qualification criteria. Under the Act 286, passed in 2020, a doctor may prescribe medical marijuana in case of any ailment he or she considers debilitating. The state’s listed conditions include:

• Cancer, cachexia, or wasting syndrome
• Chronic or intractable pain
• Crohn’s disease and inflammatory conditions
• Epilepsy or seizure disorders
• Glaucoma
• HIV/AIDS
• Multiple sclerosis, muscle spasms, or spasticity
• Muscular dystrophy
• Neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s)
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Traumatic brain injury or physician-diagnosed concussion
• Autism Spectrum Disorder with self-injuring or aggressive behavior
• Any condition requiring hospice or palliative care
• Any other condition the provider considers debilitating

Step 1: Schedule an Appointment With a Licensed Provider

Get a prescription from a Louisiana-licensed doctor, APRN, or medical psychologist. Remote consultations are totally fine, so you can make appointments via phone or video chat. You may want to bring your medical history documentation, although it is not necessarily required.

In case of qualifying, the doctor will give you a written recommendation.

Step 2: Your Recommendation Is Faxed to Your Chosen Retailer

You don’t submit anything to the state. The clinic will then fax your recommendation form to the licensed therapeutic marijuana pharmacy that you choose. This usually takes just a few hours to a few days, depending on the pharmacist.

Step 3: Visit the Retailer With Your State ID

Once your recommendation is filed, simply go to any of the licensed retailers in Louisiana. You need to show a photo ID that’s issued by your state – your recommendation will have been registered in their records already. You are not limited to the pharmacy where you sent your recommendation at first.

The state does not charge any registration fee. There is simply a consultation fee, and it normally costs between $75 and $200. Providers charge consultation fees depending on your qualification.

Using Your Recommendation

Your certification will be valid for up to 12 months after its issuance.

Allowed Products and Possession Limits

There are many types of marijuana products allowed in Louisiana, such as flower, oils, tincture, pills, edibles, topical, patches, sprays, suppositories, and metered dose inhalers.

Important: Traditional smoking of cannabis is prohibited. Raw flower may be vaporized but not combusted.

Home Cultivation

Home cultivation is strictly prohibited. All medical cannabis must be purchased from a state-licensed retailer.

Minors younger than 18 years old may be eligible, provided that there is a parent or guardian who acts as the caregiver. The parent or guardian shall accompany the minor during the consultation and handle all transactions. In cases of minors diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, the certifying physician should first consult with a pediatric subspecialist.

The adult patient cannot avail of a caregiver – Louisiana does not permit adult patients to designate caregivers.

The state permits tourists who have recommendations from chosen states to buy marijuana medicine with their out-of-state ID card, but this is not always guaranteed. Tourists must ensure they have their recommendation cards and check whether there is reciprocity before visiting a dispensary.

The renewal process is quite straightforward because it only requires that you return to your physician after your 12 months are up. You can do it through telemedicine, and you do not have to go back to the same doctor who gave you the original recommendation.

• Louisiana does not issue a physical card; your doctor’s recommendation serves as your approval
• The program requires no state fees for enrollment
• Telemedicine is completely recognized for both initial and renewal assessments
• Recommendations are good for up to 12 months
• Smoking is not allowed, but raw flower can be vaporized
• No caregiver program for adults
• Growing at home is not permitted
• Recreational use of marijuana is still illegal