The Louisiana state Agriculture Commissioner said on Monday that the LSU AgCenter expects to start cloning cannabis from larger “mother” plants in June to create medical marijuana.
Dr. Mike Strain, who heads the agriculture and forestry department, said his agency had received $80,000 from an LSU vendor to begin harvesting tissue for the state’s medical marijuana operation, according to the Daily Advertiser.
Medical marijuana is not funded in next year’s state budget, which starts on July 1, so the department will ask for a $1.5 million loan to provide software and facilities related to the operation.
Strain’s agency is responsible for overseeing the medical marijuana industry within the state, “everything from when the clone tissue of the marijuana goes in the front door till the compound leaves the back door for distribution to the pharmacy,” he said.