Medical Marijuana vs Recreational Marijuana: An Overview

Louisiana has a long history of marijuana controversy, from harsh penalties for cannabis possession to raising concerns about the cost of medical marijuana certification.

Flower concentrates, and edibles may all be legally acquired by medical marijuana patients in Louisiana under a comprehensive health care system that includes dispensaries.

To become a medical marijuana user in Louisiana, you must first be diagnosed with a qualifying disease under the state’s Medical Cannabis Licensing Program. Then, after receiving their medical marijuana certification from the state, you must apply for and receive an identification card.

Patients who have been certified can legally purchase cannabis from any of the state’s licensed pharmacies, which offer medical marijuana. In contrast, recreational marijuana states may have similar things when it comes to people being able to buy cannabis at pharmacies but there are many distinctions.

In this post, we’ll look at the distinctions between medical and recreational marijuana, as well as how they differ. We’ll also talk about why it’s important for Louisiana’s medical marijuana patients.

Medical Marijuana vs Recreational Marijuana

Advantages of Recreational Marijuana in Louisiana

Louisiana does not currently have a recreational marijuana program, but having one in place has several obvious benefits.

Individuals who do not have a qualifying medical condition would not be forbidden from purchasing recreational marijuana.

In comparison to the present scenario, where you can get your medical marijuana certification online and from the comfort of your own home yet must have a qualifying condition that a doctor believes could benefit from cannabis, you are now allowed.

Another advantage of recreational cannabis is the increased competition. When cannabis is legalized recreationally, anybody can start a marijuana company much easier than a medical marijuana firm, which helps drive costs down and raise quality by increasing competition among processors, cultivators, and dispensaries.

Disadvantages of Recreational Marijuana in Louisiana

Recreational marijuana, like everything else, has drawbacks.

Second, because marijuana is still technically illegal at the federal level in the United States, there may be a lack of regulation and/or no testing at all. Testing and regulation are necessary for medical-grade cannabis to be accessible to patients dealing with severe illnesses.

Another disadvantage of recreational cannabis is that it may frequently be heavy on THC, and businesses may avoid medicinal advantages in favor of psychedelic effects, as many recreational users desire products with the most amount of THC.

While there’s nothing wrong with getting pleasure from cannabis’s psychoactive effects, for medical marijuana patients, the therapeutic value is what they’re after, so cultivators that focus on this area are beneficial.

Another disadvantage of recreational cannabis may be present, particularly early in the implementation process. When medical states decide to legalize recreational marijuana, they run the danger of welcoming current medical dispensaries into the market, resulting in serious inventory shortages and limiting access to those that need it most; medical patients.

Recreational marijuana may be excellent in the right circumstances, but it may cause disruptions to patients seeking to medicate with cannabis if proper legislative protections aren’t implemented.

The Benefits of Cannabis in Louisiana

Advantages of Medical Marijuana in Louisiana

The most apparent advantage of medical marijuana is that it increases patients’ access to alternative therapies for a variety of ailments.

The major objective of medical cannabis is to draw attention to the therapeutic and curative advantages of medical cannabis, which may be beneficial to both recreational users and medical marijuana patients, but the need for medical cannabis patients is significantly more critical.

Patients also have a wider variety of medical marijuana strains to choose from, like in Colorado, where recreational users can consume up to an ounce of cannabis while medical consumers are limited to two ounces.

Another advantage for medical marijuana states is that minors can now access medicine. Medical marijuana allows qualified patients that do not qualify under recreational laws to acquire these drugs if they have severe seizures or cancer.

Finally, medical cannabis is frequently less expensive. With recreational marijuana, taxes are generally greater, and many retail goods can be more expensive than medical marijuana.

Disadvantages of Medical Marijuana in Louisiana

The most apparent disadvantage of medicinal marijuana is the prospect of restricted inclusion for qualifying patients.

Because Louisiana has a lengthy list of qualifying conditions, you must be diagnosed with a disease to receive approval, thus some patients who don’t meet the criteria may miss out.

The major disadvantage of medical marijuana is competition. Because there are fewer growers licensed to produce cannabis, consumers will have fewer alternatives and less rivalry because of the lack of competitors. This de facto monopoly restricts competition, limiting product choices and keeping prices from declining as dispensaries fight for market share.

It’s conceivable that in some circumstances, such as in Louisiana, at-home cultivation is forbidden, which can be a disadvantage for medical marijuana programs.

In comparison to recreational cannabis, medical marijuana should have the same chemical make-up and quality. Although potency is not regularly any higher or lower on one side or the other, there are advantages as well as drawbacks to both medicinal and recreational marijuana programs.

Get Your Louisiana Medical Marijuana Certification

Medical marijuana is now legal in Louisiana! Once approved, qualifying patients can receive their medical marijuana certification from the comfort of their own homes and start purchasing legal cannabis. Cannabis flowers, edibles, and concentrates are all available in Louisiana.

Being a medical marijuana patient in Louisiana gives you legal protections to possess medical cannabis, and obtaining a certification is the only way to ensure you are following the law.

Get your medical marijuana certification in Louisiana right now, and you may even get certified for medical cannabis online to save time and hassle.

For more information about Louisiana’s medical marijuana program or how to join the list of eligible patients, get in touch with one of our knowledgeable physicians and schedule an online medical cannabis appointment right away!