Louisiana weed expansion ramps up at LSU AgCenter's Good Day Farm in Ruston

RUSTON — LSU AgCenter's medical marijuana partner Good Day Farm is ramping up production at its new mega-facility to meet increasing demand for the product and stave off potential legislative efforts to expand the number of growers in Louisiana's program.

"We have the capital and the talent and the facility to make it happen," Lauri Gregory told USA Today Network after a tour of the Ruston facility. "This isn't dreaming about doing it. We're making it happen."

The LSU AgCenter and Southern AgCenter and their private partners are the only growers who can legally cultivate cannabis in Louisiana's fledgling medical marijuana program, while just nine regional monopoly pharmacies are able to distribute weed.

MJBizDaily, an online publication devoted to the cannabis industry, projects Louisiana's medical marijuana sales to double in 2022 to about $100 million and rise as high as $400 million by 2025.

Demand has accelerated since the state began allowing smokable weed as an option for patients beginning Jan. 1.

More: Should Louisiana break up medical marijuana monopolies to lower prices?

But that increased demand was accompanied by disappointment from some patients and lawmakers who believe the cost of the raw, flower product is excessive after promising the smokable form would be more affordable.

Though the state regulates the number of growers and pharmacies, there are no current price controls. Last week some pharmacies ran out of the flower product.

Good Day executives like Gregory and John Davis said their new 225,000-square-foot facility addresses concerns about meeting demand and allows the company to expand its product options and strains.

Davis said ultimate production at the site can reach 5,700 pounds of product per month, which would exceed projected statewide demand of 4,700 pounds per month in 2024.

"We absolutely have capacity to meet demand," he said.

More: Patients line up for Louisiana's first smokable medical marijuana; balk at prices

The company is building out the facility in stages beginning with 20,000 square feet of cultivation space in production now that will expand to 75,000 square feet by summer.

"We feel confident we'll have abundant supplies and magnitude and an increasing number of (strains) for patients," Gregory said.

Still, lawmakers like Rep. Joe Marino, an independent from Gretna who chairs the state's Medical Marijuana Commission, aren't convinced.

"I definitely believe we need to expand the program in every direction," Marino said in an earlier interview with USA Today Network. "We created these restrictive monopolies to be able to get the program off the ground, but I have to believe if we had more competition it would be more affordable."

In Ruston, Good Day Farm is already cultivating 40 strains with a catalog of 150 varieties it will eventually offer.

Gregory explained that pharmacists recommend different varieties to treat specific ailments.

"Each one has different benefits," she said, noting that some strains are more effective for pain and inflammation, the top complaint, while others are targeted for stress and insomnia.

Each strain has a colorful name. Grease Monkey, Mandarin Zkittles, Lilac Diesel, Lumpy Space Princess, Pillow Factory and Planet of the Grapes are among the favorites.

The timeline for a single crop from planting to harvest to curing and drying to processing takes about six months, but crops are cultivated in continuous stages so there are no production gaps.

Many Good Day scientists, executives and employees are rooted in Louisiana like New Orleans native Beau Druilhet, director of cultivation, and Juan Ramirez, an LSU graduate who is the quality control manager and compliance officer.

"I feel like a pioneer," Ramirez said. "I never thought I'd be able to do it here in my home state."

Good Day's growers speak of their products as if they're sommeliers offering fine wines.

"Did you catch the grape notes in the aroma?" Druilhet said in the "cure room" where barrels of the harvested weed age.

And new products are on the way.

Gregory said the company plans to deliver gummies to the state's pharmacies in February — strawberry lemonade and wild berry flavors to start.

"Our speed to market has been unheard of," she said.

"We have the capacity; we're ready to deliver," Davis said.

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Good Day Farm expands medical marijuana production in Louisiana