Louisiana

Louisiana medical marijuana leader touts industry growth, safety: ‘We’ve done it right.’

Published

5 months ago

February 26, 2026

Louisiana medical marijuana leader touts industry growth, safety: ‘We’ve done it right.’

After over five years of legal cannabis sales in the state, Good Day Farm Louisiana President John Davis maintains that Louisiana’s medical marijuana market is the best in the South.

At a Rotary Club meeting Wednesday, Davis touted the industry’s safety, oversight and stability, factors he says are why Louisiana is ahead of other states that have legalized marijuana sales.

“The program has matured,” Davis said at the meeting. “It’s scaled, and most importantly, compared to all these other states that got out ahead of us, here we’re safe, we’re consistent, we’re regulated, we have oversight, and we have economic stability, which is not seen in other states.”

The Louisiana Department of Health regulates the industry from cultivation to retail in what Davis describes as a “very narrow playing field.”

Good Day Farm is one of two licensed cannabis growers that cultivate products for the 10 licensed retailers in the state. The company originally partnered with the LSU Agricultural Center to operate growing facilities in Ruston and Baton Rouge. They also operate dispensaries, including a 10,000-square-foot retail location in Lake Charles, the largest dispensary in the South.

Good Day Farm Louisiana distributes approved medical marijuana products to licensed dispensaries in Louisiana. Ilera Holistic Healthcare holds the other cannabis growing license in the state.

The medical marijuana patient base has boomed over the past two years. From the first quarter of 2024 to the last quarter of 2025, the number of patients has more than doubled, according to data Davis presented at the meeting. Nearly 150,000 people in Louisiana are part of the state’s medical marijuana program — that’s 3.2% of the state’s population.

With increased access to the product, a wide variety of products and an expanding consumer base, prices have fallen. Average prices across all products, which include cannabis flower, tinctures, vape devices and edibles, is about $47, Davis said, and overall medical marijuana prices have dropped about 21% from mid-2024 to January this year.

Stigma surrounding marijuana has fallen, too, he said, crediting the state’s growers and retailers acting as “good stewards” for the industry’s stability.

“The legislature sees how we’re behaving,” he said in an interview following the meeting. “The regulators see how we’re operating, and we’ve done a very good job staying in our swim lane and complying with the rules.”

Product safety is top of mind, too — 98.5% of Good Day Farm products have passed the state department of health’s tests to ensure the potency of the products matches the potency printed on the labels, he said.

Davis touted Louisiana’s strong regulation of the medical marijuana market amid other state’s challenge to manage the growing industry. In Oklahoma, a study commissioned by the state’s marijuana authority found that the marijuana supply is at least 32 times greater than demand in the state. Washington and Oregon have also struggled with marijuana surpluses.

“We’re a strong state,” Davis said. “We’ve done it right.”

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Louisiana

Meta’s Louisiana Data Center to Surpass $250 Billion Price Tag

Published

3 hours ago

July 13, 2026

Press Room

Meta’s Louisiana Data Center to Surpass 0 Billion Price Tag

Meta Platforms Inc. has committed to spending an additional $40 billion on its sprawling data center campus in Louisiana, pushing its total expected investment beyond $250 billion for the site as it continues to grow its artificial intelligence computing footprint.

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Louisiana

DeRidder man found dead in Sabine River

Published

15 hours ago

July 12, 2026

Press Room

NEWTON COUNTY, Texas. (KPLC) – A DeRidder man reported missing was found dead in the Sabine River Sunday morning, according to the Newton County Sheriff’s Office.

Newton County Sheriff Colton Havard said Jordan Jamal Allen was located around 7:50 a.m. on July 12 with help from Texas Parks and Wildlife game wardens, the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office, and 409 Search and Rescue.

Authorities say the body was recovered not far from where Allen went under Friday night near the U.S. 190 bridge east of Bon Wier at the Texas-Louisiana state line.

The sheriff said that Allen and a woman were said to be wading across the river Friday when the current began pulling the woman.

The sheriff said Allen tried to help her, but went under around 8:45 p.m. and wasn’t seen again. He said the woman made it back to land safely.

We will have more in this story as it develops.

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Louisiana

Check out the Outdoors calendar for fishing events

Published

1 day ago

July 12, 2026

Press Room

Check out the Outdoors calendar for fishing events

MONDAY

RED STICK FLY FISHERS PROGRAM: 7 p.m., Bluebonnet Regional Library, 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge. Open to the public. Email Brian Roberts: roberts.brian84@gmail.com. Website: rsff.org

WEDNESDAY

FLIES & FLIGHTS: 7-9 p.m, Rally Cap Brewing, 11212 Pennywood Ave., Baton Rouge. Casual fly tying. Open to public. Email Chris Williams: thefatfingeredflytyer@gmail.com

THURSDAY

ACADIANA FLY RODDERS PROGRAM: 6 p.m., Pack and Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Open to public. Email Darin Lee: at cbrsandcdc@gmail.com. Website: acadianaflyrodders.org

FRIENDS OF NRA/SOUTHWEST LA BANQUET: 6 p.m., Riverside Bar & Grill, 3748 Louisiana 3059, Lake Charles. Call Brack Cole 337-912-1620. Email: jbcoleair@yahoo.com

ONGOING

STATEWIDE TOURNAMENT & ANGLERS RODEO/S.T.A.R.: Through Sept. 7, Coastal Conservation Association’s summer-long fishing event. Tagged redfish, coastal/offshore species categories & youth division. CCA membership required. Website: ccalouisiana.com/star

LOTTERY HUNTS

DOVE/TEAL: July 27 application deadline for dove hunt on Elbow Slough Wildlife Management Area and teal hunt on White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area. Website applications only on Wildlife & Fisheries/Louisiana Outdoors License, Permits and Tags webpage. Fee $8.50. Details: dove hunt, David Hayden at dhayden@wlf.la.gov; teal hunt, Lance Ardoin at lardoin@wlf.la.gov

AROUND THE CORNER

JULY 21 — LAFAYETTE KAYAK FISHING CLUB MEETING: 6 p.m., Pack and Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Call 337-232-5854. Website: lafayettekayakfishing.com

JULY 21-22 — GULF COUNCIL SHRIMP COMMITTEE MEETING: Gulf Council office, 4107 W. Spruce St., Tampa, Florida. In conjunction with Scientific and Statistical committees. Website: gulfcouncil.org

JULY 23 — ACADIANA BUGS & BREWS: 6 p.m., Pack and Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Casual fly tying and local beers provided. Open to the public. Email Darin Lee: cbrsandcdc@gmail.com. Website: packpaddle.com

JULY 23-25 — International Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo, Grand Isle Marina & Otto Candies Pavilion, Grand Isle. Website: tarponrodeo.org

JULY 24-25—BASSMASTER JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: Kentucky Lake, Paris, Tennessee. Website: bassmaster.com

JULY 26 — SOUTH LOUISIANA HIGHPOWER CLUB MATCH: 8:30 a.m., Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Range, St. Landry Road, Gonzales. NRA XTC & F-Class match rifle or service rifle, 200-yard/50-rounds match course. Fee $15 members, $20 nonmembers, $5 juniors. $25 annual club (first match free) and Civilian Marksmanship Program membership (allows purchases from CMP). Call Mike Burke, 337-380-8120. Email: SouthLAHighPower@hotmail.com

FISHING/SHRIMPING

SHRIMP: Spring inshore season closed except for Breton/Chandeleur sounds; all outside waters open.

OPEN RECREATIONAL SEASONS: Private recreational red snapper; gray triggerfish; flounder; lane, blackfin, queen and silk snappers and wenchmen among other snapper species; all groupers except closed for goliath and Nassau groupers in state/federal waters.

CLOSED SEASONS: Greater amberjack; bluefin tuna; gag, goliath and Nassau groupers in state/federal waters. Commercial greater amberjack season closed.