Southern University to host cannabis education symposium

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Southern University will host a cannabis education symposium in December.

The two-day event is being put on by the Southern University Law Center’s Cannabis Compliance, Law and Policy Institute, the university’s Agricultural Research and Extension Center.

“Cannabis (marijuana) has been legalized in at least 33 states in some form,” said Marla Dickerson, director of the Cannabis Compliance, Law and Policy Institute. “The state legalizations have led to a myriad of discussions pertaining to decriminalization, social equity, legal, and medical issues. The symposium will provide panel discussions that will provide understanding to individuals interested in cannabis.”

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The symposium will feature panel discussions of Louisiana’s hemp program, diversity within the marijuana industry, cultivation processes, labor and employment issues, according to the university.

Panelists will include leading industry researchers and general counsel such as Evan Gibbs, employment litigator at Troutman Sanders; Sue Taylor, founder and chief executive officer of iCANN Berkeley; Blake Bilger, co-founder of Cypress Hemp; Hilary St. Jean, attorney at Rogoway Law Group and more.

The cannabis education symposium is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on December 12 through 13.

The event registration is $225, and it is open to the public. Participants can register and view a list of sessions at www.sulc.edu/cannabis.

For legal professionals, the symposium carries 12.83 continuing legal education credits including one hour each of professionalism and ethics.

The Louisiana legislature passed a law in 2015 legalizing medical marijuana in liquid form. Medical marijuana did not become available to patients in Louisiana until Aug. 2019.

The LSU and Southern University Ag centers are the only licensed growers of medical marijuana in the state.

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