Recent action by the Louisiana Racing Commission that weakens medication standards is shortsighted, ill advised, and will very likely pose a significant health risk to horses and jockeys competing in that state. The decision by Louisiana officials to allow more permissive medication policies is all the more brazen when juxtaposed against the cooperative efforts and positive direction that so many stakeholders in our sport are moving in, with enhanced safety, accountability, and integrity measures that have been implemented, including the creation of a central governing authority similar to other major American sports.  

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association and its member organizations represent virtually every segment of the sport of Thoroughbred racing: horseplayers, racetrack operators (including Fair Grounds Race Course’s owner Churchill Downs Inc.), advance deposit wagering operators, breeders, owners, and trainers. Collectively, we are committed to supporting safety and welfare reforms and investment in new emerging technologies and related safety measures that are the core elements highlighted in our current Safety Runs First initiative, a public awareness campaign that launched during the lead-up to this year’s Triple Crown.

While the campaign and some of its initiatives are new, some of the programs highlighted began as far back as the early 2000s. Key subjects include advancements in veterinary protocols; the use of wearable biometric technology that can identify horses that may be at risk of injury for early intervention by trainers and vets; advanced data analytics (including the use of artificial intelligence) to screen horses for risk factors; additional deployment of advanced diagnostic imaging technologies; and greater emphasis on state-of-the-art surveillance coupled with good old-fashioned boots-on-the-ground security. The end result is a more comprehensive ecosystem of care for our equine and human athletes than at any time in the history of America’s oldest sport.

Research reinforces that this increased emphasis on safety and integrity is exactly what both core and casual racing fans expect of us. Make no mistake, we are seeing positive results. A 34% decline in racing fatalities since 2009, as measured by The Jockey Club’s Equine Injury Database, is not a statistical anomaly. It’s a very positive trend that underscores our industry’s commitment to safety. These and other improvements focused on the safety and welfare of the horse make the actions being undertaken in Louisiana all the more puzzling and disappointing.

Louisiana has a long and storied history in Thoroughbred racing, and the Fair Grounds is America’s third-oldest racetrack. Unfortunately, with its recent rule changes, Louisiana is threatening the viability of racing its own state. At the very least, this action may relegate the state to being a minor-league outlier. The decision by the Louisiana Racing Commission will make it more difficult for owners and trainers whose horses are expected to compete in other jurisdictions to continue to justify racing there. In fact, many have expressed their dismay and disappointment with these new policies and they have signaled their doubts about continuing to race there. That alone should be enough to give Bayou State regulators reason to reverse their decision to enact this ill-conceived “emergency rule.”

Louisiana, Don’t Geaux Back!

Tom Rooney is president and CEO of the NTRA

A proposal to do away with edible hemp products in Louisiana has fizzled in the Legislature, sparing an industry that has blossomed since bungled legislation legalized it two years ago.

On the House floor Friday, members attempted to find a happy medium on Senate Bill 237 by Sen. Thomas Pressly, R-Shreveport, which would have led to the demise of some 2,000 hemp-related businesses that have taken root in Louisiana since 2022. 

Rep. Laurie Schlegel, R-Metairie, offered compromise amendments to the Pressly bill that would have required all intoxicating ingredients be taken out of hemp products. Prevailing arguments were made in support of jobs and companies the hemp industry has spawned in Louisiana.

“I know there are a lot of you in this room who smoke weed, who ingest weed,” Rep. Mandie Landry, D-New Orleans, said in opposition to Schegel’s amendments. “If you don’t vote against this, I think you’re being a huge hypocrite.”

The amendments failed, 39-60, and Pressly’s bill foundered without being brought up for a House vote.

Later Friday on the Senate side, members approved House Bill 952 by Rep. Dustin Miller, D-Opelousas, which would place several restrictions on the types of consumable products that can contain hemp and the amount per serving of THC, the same psychoactive compound found in marijuana that gets users high.

Intoxicating hemp-infused beverages would no longer be served at bars and restaurants, and hemp gummies and other snacks would be limited to 5 mg of THC per serving size, down from 8 mg. 

Hemp products have become readily available in Louisiana, but Senate amendments to Miller’s bill would prohibit their sale at convenience stores and gas stations. They would still be available at truck stops, however. 

The Senate approved the updated bill in a 37-1 vote. The House still needs to OK senators’ changes to Miller’s proposal, but Pressly doesn’t intend to revive his bill before the legislative session ends at 6 p.m. Monday.

Calls for stricter regulation of hemp products came from the medical marijuana and alcoholic beverage sectors, which view the fledgling field as a competitor. 

State lawmakers unwittingly approved a bill in 2022 to allow the manufacturing and sale of hemp-derived products. The author of the bill, then-House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, R-French Settlement, had incorrectly assured legislators there wouldn’t be enough THC in hemp gummies, drinks and other edibles to get anyone high. 

Gaps in the legislation permitted makers of hemp edibles to cram multiple servings into their products in order to pack more of a THC punch inside each container or package. 

The hemp industry has also put its scientific expertise to use to make its products more desirable. Manufacturers have found a way to convert cannabidiol (CBD), a separate chemical found in hemp that doesn’t produce a high, into a THC extract using simple chemistry. They then concentrate it into drinks, gummies and other edibles.