By Ramone Tarnaski

The amended measure expands Louisiana's medical marijuana program, partly related to cannabis, and partly related to the legalization of recreational marijuana.

Doctors are now allowed to recommend the substance to patients with illnesses they believe would help them, and as a result restrictions on the conditions under which doctors can recommend marijuana have been lifted. The new restrictions also set limits on vaporization in cars, but state law already prohibits drivers and passengers from smoking combustible tobacco products in vehicles or with children in cars.

The new law rightly extends these rules to vaping, and it is a step in the right direction. Meanwhile, S. 1253, a federal law banning the sale of vapor products to children under 18, has passed the Senate and now goes to the House of Representatives. If adopted, it would prohibit the U.S. Postal Service from shipping vapi products and force other delivery services to check the ID and obtain an adult's signature at the delivery location.

Delivery by FedEx, UPS, or DHL is already much more expensive than delivery by mail, and the extra effort and signature required for delivery will add to these costs.

When the bill comes into force, the cost of buying a steam unit online could increase by up to 20%, and most deliveries will be made during business hours when most steamers are at work. Moreover, vapor treatment advocates, such as the National Organization for Marijuana Rights Reform (NORML), say the signature requirement would create an unnecessary focal point that would be counterproductive to the current situation in which the coronavirus is moving away from the environment. Adults can sign in front of a doctor's office or another medical marijuana pharmacy, but not in the car.