On Thursday June 6th, House Bill 491 was signed into law by Governor John Bel Edwards making Louisiana the 44th hemp state. Farmers will be able to begin growing hemp in 2020 after state agriculture officials finalize hemp growing regulations.
While the bill did help Louisiana farmers, the state is putting limits on the kinds of CBD products that can be sold. CBD products must be sold as food or cosmetics and not “marketed as a dietary supplement.” CBD retailers will be required to obtain licenses from the state Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, and those licenses will come with limits on the kinds of legal hemp products they can sell. The bill also prohibits the sale of smokable hemp. These restrictions are unfortunate and we hope to work with businesses in the state to educate legislators and improve the regulations in the next legislative session.