Louisiana’s medical marijuana inhalation bill wins passage

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana's medical marijuana patients will be allowed to inhale cannabis, under a bill headed to the governor's desk.

Final passage came with an 82-0 House vote Wednesday for the measure by Baton Rouge Democratic Rep. Ted James, which will let therapeutic cannabis patients use an inhaler, like asthma patients use.

Currently, marijuana only can be available in medicinal oils, pills, liquids and topical applications.

The inhalation legislation initially bogged down in the Senate amid objections about widening delivery methods. But senators changed course, voting 31-7 for the measure after tightening language to spell out metered-dose inhalers will be allowed and nothing else.

Medicinal-grade pot isn't yet available to patients. Regulatory disagreements slowed getting the product to shelves, with estimates it could be available this summer.