Many Louisiana residents who have used medical marijuana in the last year are debating whether it is worthwhile to renew their Louisiana medical marijuana card. Others are unsure whether they should apply for a medical marijuana renewal Louisiana card or even other qualifications you keep your Louisiana medical marijuana card, even if it is not required to use cannabis legally in Louisiana.
Here are some compelling reasons to renew your Louisiana medical marijuana card. These are the top reasons to apply for aLouisiana medical cannabis card if you do not already have one.
1. Make Cannabis More Affordable
Because medical marijuana is less expensive than recreational marijuana, growers and distributors understand that they are providing essential medicine as a service to patients who require it. Patients are more important to dispensaries and medical marijuana growers than to profits.
Adult-use dispensaries and cultivators can charge more for their products. They know people aren’t buying it because they have to but want to. The same amount of cannabis purchased from an adult-use dispensary will cost more than a medical marijuana dispensary.
Another important factor that makes medical marijuana less expensive than adult-use marijuana is taxes. The state taxes medical marijuana at 6%, plus a tax that the state allows local municipalities to collect at a rate of 2-4%. Medical marijuana purchases in Louisiana are subject to an 8-9% sales tax.
2. Increased Purchase Limits
Both recreational and medical marijuana users are not permitted to possess or purchase the same amount of marijuana simultaneously. State law limits the amount of marijuana you can possess at any time, regardless of your classification. Medical users face stricter restrictions than recreational users.
Recreational users are limited to one ounce of marijuana daily and no more than five grams of cannabis concentrates such as tincture, hash, or dab.
3. There Are No Age Requirements
Adult-use marijuana in Louisiana is only legal for those over 21. Medical marijuana patients, on the other hand, can be of any age.
You can only apply for Louisiana’s medical marijuana program as a minor if you have permission from your parent or guardian. They will also require a caregiver card to obtain your medical marijuana. No option exists for anyone under 21 who wants to use marijuana recreationally.
4. Comfort And Adaptability
As a patient with an MMJ Card, you can purchase marijuana at a recreational or medical dispensary. As a recreational user, you cannot purchase marijuana. As an MMJ cardholder, you have more options for where and when you buy marijuana.
You can still buy marijuana if you are a medical user and live far away from your home, but the nearest dispensary is for recreational use. If you are not a medical marijuana user and there are no nearby medical marijuana dispensaries, you are also out.
Your purchase limit will remain the same regardless of which dispensaries you visit or how many you visit.
5. Defending Parents InChild Custody Disputes
A registered patient cannot be held responsible for her Louisiana medical marijuana card status in a child custody case. To establish that marijuana posed a risk to your child’s safety or health, the other parent must present clear and convincing evidence.
6. Employee Security
The Louisiana Medical Marijuana Act also protects employees from being fired if they test positive for THC while on the job. The Smart and Safe Act does not provide these safeguards.
7. Stronger Cannabis Is More Powerful
Cannabis sold in medical marijuana dispensaries is stronger than cannabis sold in adult-use dispensaries. This is because medical marijuana dispensaries can sell more potent cannabis than adult-use dispensaries.
Recreational marijuana users in Louisiana are limited to edibles with less than 10 mg of THC per portion and less than 100 mg per package. Medical marijuana users in Louisiana, on the other hand, are not subject to the same restrictions.