2 Louisiana schools set to grow Rx ‘pot’

BATON ROUGE — LSU and Southern University both want to begin growing marijuana for medical use.

The boards of both schools approved plans Friday to pursue licensing. It would make them the sole growers and researchers for the state.

This spring, the Louisiana Legislature widened the state’s medical marijuana laws, making the treatment available to a wider range of people with debilitating diseases.

LSU plans to seek private funding for what could be a $10 million production center, and has studied production in Colorado, which has legalized marijuana. Bill Richardson, LSU’s vice president for agriculture, said the school has met with unnamed New Orleans and out-of-state investors who have expressed interest. LSU’s facility is expected to be built on private land not adjacent to a campus.

Richardson said marijuana oil, to be sold to designated pharmacies, is unlikely to be available in Louisiana until 2018.

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