A new profitable crop for the State Penitentiary in Angola?

As a long-time advocate of legalized marijuana, I was glad to see that our backwards state was considering passing a very cautious bill towards the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes.

“Finally!” I thought. These backward bozo legislators are starting to see the light. There’s been a bit of softening towards hard prison time for marijuana possession, too, but it’s still too harsh, even with the new law that is supposed to be signed by Governor Jindal. But I digress.

It’s looking like Jindal will sign the medical marijuana bill too, but there’s a glitch because the Louisiana bill requires patients to get a prescription for marijuana, and unfortunately, under federal law doctors can’t write a prescription for a Schedule I drug with “no medicinal value” (marijuana is classified this way) without risking their right to prescribe drugs. Other states who allow medicinal marijuana require a statement from doctors that only “recommend” marijuana. So it’s a technical glitch that could really prevent a viable program here.

And then—I guess because we’re media—I get a statement email from a communications specialist in the Louisiana legislature, which is probably the most astounding thing I’ve read in a while. A Louisiana legislator from Vernon Parish, James Armes of Leesville, voted against the bill and said that the FDA has never studied nor approved marijuana for medical use, and is concerned that the bill will leave the door wide open for abuse.

“I’m all for patients being able to get the medicine they need,” Armes said. “I heard compelling testimony on the House floor from people I consider to be mny friends. It pains me deeply to vote against their wishes [but what else do politicians do for political expediency?], ut I have a responsibility and a right to have my questions answered before I make a decision on such an important matter,” Armes said.

“Everywhere in the bill it says that marijuana will be grown, but there are no definitive growing restrictions. I need to see what the process is, how the Commissioner of Agriculture is going to determine the process. Who is going to administer security? The supporters of the bill can’t tell you anything about a production facility, where it’s going to bem who’s going to harvest thr crop, explain the process to make marijuana medicine, or who’s going to process it. No one was able to answer how much this was going to cost the state of the Department of Agriculture,” Rep. Armes added.

“None of this information is in the bill. Yet the bill says the legislature has oversight over everything [uh-oh]. How can we be expected to vote blindly when there are so many unanswered questions? The Department of Agriculture and Forestry is supposed to develop rules and regulation for one production facility and one licensee limited to one geographic location of the state [uh-oh again].”….I brought up the idea on the House floor to approve Angola as the production facility to plant, harvest and process the marijuana medicine in a highly secure and highly controlled environment. This, I believe, would eliminate parties who have a financial stake in planting and processing the product and eliminate the possibility of corruption,” Armes said.

Holy shitake. Angola prisoners growing, harvesting and processing marijuana. How many of those prisoners are in jail for possession?

Only in Louisiana!