The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument, were prepared by Christine Arbo Peck.
DIGEST
SB 271 Original 2016 Regular Session Mills
Present law provides for medical marijuana to be prescribed. Proposed law changes prescribed to
recommended.
Present law provides that medical marijuana can be prescribed for glaucoma, symptoms resulting
from the administration of chemotherapy cancer treatment and spastic quadriplegia. Proposed law
changes the disease states to debilitating medical conditions (cancer, glaucoma, positive status for
human immunodeficiency virus, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or a chronic or debilitating
disease or medical condition or its treatment that produces cachexia or wasting syndrome, seizure
disorders, epilepsy, severe muscle spasms, including those characteristic of Crohn's disease or
multiple sclerosis).
Proposed law adds a definition of "recommend" or "recommended" as an order from a physician
domiciled in Louisiana and licensed and in good standing with the Louisiana Board of Medical
Examiners and authorized by the board to recommend medical marijuana that is patient specific and
disease specific in accordance with present law and is communicated by any means allowed by the
Louisiana Board of Pharmacy to a Louisiana licensed pharmacist in a Louisiana permitted dispensing
pharmacy as described in present law and is preserved on file as required by Louisiana law or federal
law regarding medical marijuana.
Present law required the recommending physician to be licensed to practice medicine in this state.
Proposed law requires the recommending physician to be licensed by the Louisiana State Board of
Medical Examiners, in good standing with the board and domiciled in Louisiana.
Present law provides for reporting and rule promulgation deadlines that have passed. Proposed law
repeals deadlines that have passed and instructs the boards to update their rules to reflect the change
in proposed law from prescribed to recommended.
Effective upon signature of the governor or upon lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Amends R.S. 40:1046)