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| Dr. Bobby R. Phills, Chancellor-Dean of The Land-Grant Campus, speaks during the campus's Medical Marijuana Town Hall meeting on Feb. 23 at the SU Ag Center. |
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| Rani Whitfield, M.D., speaks about the benefits of Medical Marijuana at the SU Agricultural Land-Grant Campus's Town Hall Meeting on Feb. 23. |
The Southern University Land-Grant
Campus - consisting of the SU Ag Center and the College of Agricultural, Family
and Consumer Sciences – held an informational Medical Marijuana Town Hall meeting
on Thursday, Feb. 23 at the SU Ag Center.
Attorney Winston Decuire, Jr. provided
the community and potential vendors with an overview of the law which
authorizes licensed physicians to recommend medicinal treatment for ten debilitating
medical conditions. These conditions include Cancer, HIV, AIDS,
Cachexia/Wasting syndrome, Seizure disorders, Epilepsy, Spasticity, Crohn’s
Disease, Muscular Dystrophy and Multiple Sclerosis.
The law also stipulates that the plant
must be developed into pharmaceutical grade medicines such as oils, pills,
powders, gelatin-based chewables and other non-inhalable forms.
During the meeting Rani Whitfield,
M.D., spoke about a five-year-old girl from Colorado named Charlotte, who
suffered from Epilepticus and Autism along with several other health
complications. There was no mediation that could control Charlotte’s seizures
and she relied on a feeding tube for nourishment. After 20 months of receiving
low doses of marijuana plant extract, Charlotte was able to feed herself by
mouth and her autistic behaviors improved.
Dr. Janana Snowden, director of the
Southern Institute of Medicinal Plants, stated that the University is planning
to release a Request for Proposals (RFP) or Solicitation for Offers (SFO) in
mid-March, with a 30-45 day application period. The University also plans to
select a single vendor to contract with by mid to late summer.
The University has also identified
undeveloped land at the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension
Center’s Experiment Station in Baker, La., as the location of the facility.
This site is located off the campus and students will not be involved in the
growing or processing of the cannabis component. The vendor will be required to
make an investment of $5-7 million and must be able to conduct a seed to sale
operation.
Chancellor-Dean Dr. Bobby R. Phills
expressed his desire for the Land-Grant Campus to help educate the community.
“This Medical Marijuana Program will
give us the ability to reach out into the community and provide some help by
making medicine for debilitating medical conditions. We will also conduct
research on other medicinal plants through the Southern Institute of Medicinal
Plants,” said Phills.
For additional information, contact Dr.
Snowden or LaKeeshia Lusk at 225-771-2242.
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