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Louisiana's first medical pot crop to be planted Friday

Even with the approval, the first crop won't be harvested until November, about two months later than originally anticipated.

Louisiana's first legal crop of medical marijuana can be planted Friday after Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain loosened a regulatory logjam that created a months-long delay.

Strain, whose agency regulates the burgeoning industry, and his team met with LSU AgCenter Chancellor Bill Richardson and GB Sciences President John Davis for almost four hours Wednesday to clear the path for production.

"I'm expecting to give them a temporary go-ahead to begin after our team does a preset final inspection (Thursday)," Strain said in an interview with USA Today Network. "Everyone is working hard together to move forward."

The consent will be for the cannabis to be grown in a temporary, turn-key "exterior pod" that GB Sciences built to expedite the approval process. There the product will be contained from germination to packaging.

Strain must still give approval for GB Sciences to open full interior production at its Baton Rouge facility.

"Based upon a very productive meeting with Dr. Strain and the thorough attention to detail from his team we believe we can move forward with production on Friday," said John Davis, president of GB Sciences, the company growing the crop for the LSU AgCenter.

"I'm very appreciative of Dr. Strain's engagement in the process," he said.

The approval follows a story published this week by USA Today Network in which Davis and the owners of the state's nine medical marijuana pharmacies expressed frustration about how long the process was taking.

"It's become pretty frustrating and illustrates the pace of government and the pace of business operate at two separate speeds," said Greg Morrison, owner of the northeastern Louisiana pharmacy to be located in West Monroe. "We really need to get moving."

Wednesday's meeting was the first time Strain joined his team of regulators in a face-to-face with Davis.

"We worked page by page; I told them nobody was leaving until we reached a resolution," Strain said.

"This is the most scrutinized project since riverboat gambling," the commissioner said. "Everything has to be done by the book, and we're having to write the book," he said. "We're going to do exactly what is right, period."

Even with the approval, the first crop won't be harvested until November, about two months later than originally anticipated.

Davis said a crop takes about three months to mature.

Medical marijuana was legalized in Louisiana 40 years ago but never implemented. A 2016 law finally paved the way for implementation. It can only be prescribed as a pill or oil.

The law allows the LSU and Southern University agricultural centers to select business partners to cultivate and produce medical pot, although the progress at Southern has been hampered by legal challenges with its chosen grower.

Earlier this year the Legislature passed bills adding Parkinson's, glaucoma, severe muscle spasms, chronic pain, post traumatic stress disorder and autism to the 10 conditions previously qualifying for medical marijuana.

Gov. John Bel Edwards signed both bills into law.

The Louisiana Board of Pharmacy chose the nine medical marijuana pharmacies in April. A 10th license could be awarded depending on demand.

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1

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