Public Records Request: Documents About Medical Cannabis (2015-2023)

Good morning,

We emailed the requester with instructions to submit the PRR through our Public Records Request Portal at https://ldh.govqa.us/WEBAPP/_rs/(S(hbwrgjvjws11cngksib2uu5r))/supporthome.aspx so that we may begin processing the request.

Dear Charles Yerkes:
Thank you for your interest in the public records of Louisiana Department of Health. Your request has been received and is being processed in accordance with the Louisiana Public Records Act. Your request was received in this office on 12/13/2023 and given the reference number P003654-121323 for tracking purposes.
Name of Documents Requested: Public Records Request: Documents About Medical Cannabis (2015-2023) Records Requested: To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Louisiana Public Records Law, I hereby request the following records:

Dear Louisiana Department of Health, Office of the Secretary,

I am writing to request public records from the Louisiana Department of Health under the Freedom of Information Act. I am seeking the following documents for the period from January 1, 2015, to the present:
Official memos, policy documents, and guidelines concerning the medicinal use of marijuana.

Correspondence between the Louisiana Department of Health and medical institutions or institutions researching and growing medical marijuana in Louisiana.

Any reports, studies, or assessments conducted or commissioned by the Louisiana Department of Health concerning the medicinal properties and uses of marijuana.

These documents will provide me with educational insight into medical marijuana, its regulation, and its impact on the medical community and patients in Louisiana.

I am willing to pay any reasonable fees associated with the production and delivery of these documents. Please inform me of any charges in advance. Thank you for your attention to this request. I look forward to your response within the statutory period. You can contact me at cyerkes3@tulane.edu with the information.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 3 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Charles Yerkes

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/
Your request will be forwarded to the relevant department(s) to locate the information you seek and to determine the volume and any costs associated with satisfying your request. You will be contacted about the availability and/or provided with copies of the records in question.

PLEASE NOTE: Although LDH’s records are generally subject to disclosure under the Louisiana Public Records Act (La. R.S. 44:1, et seq.), it is possible that confidentiality and/or privilege issues may be encountered in the processing of your request.  If so, LDH will immediately notify you of any such issues and work with you to resolve them.

You can monitor the progress of your request at the link below, and you'll receive an email when your request has been completed.

Thank you,
Louisiana Department of Health
To monitor the progress or update this request please log into the Records Center (https://u8387778.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=6HtRfOYLt5fXvpttM-2FU1HRDJ8VJ6HKSY5lQVF1BWZ1H8OSUOuQ2WNTuRuJ1Bd2kywcWk87giRlBZ7-2F9QCCF1ug-3D-3DW0uq_ckpldzBBrXf2tpHh2B3F9Z9sWJpllF293sY0av7zeLvr0BicTjRl6GQsaVJ3ZyF4SyQvS1d8U8nz3HNvb8LlV8tiwfKTdxt79EDT-2BH4mqMXSQ8Xp4iSCzJSPyOtqo8HkKVuKOB8-2BklfQmrQhBlI9naMhMyEcQHp79SqXERCPDeUz-2B5j2bD0b-2B-2BZWGhdi-2BOztggPCpGByOTcYPQILfg2y-2BvRlsAR0mqb6OlkcqB1t4XMk90ubV1iU5M35G5cuMQ-2FX9-2BZfl3Ml5RnWf-2FEKKlHAKsyhP2g9E0dmrbYV6ZzzOZmfSlQvjeDsHH2ntRxgh03t9jO2XTjNfv9nWPjcQVY95bQ1KeFCUoYFip-2FTvcdr0PETJbKBUcL-2Fs3t7JkVT-2BwmE)

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RE: PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST of December 13, 2023, Reference # P003654-121323

Dear Charles Yerkes,

Your public records request is being processed; it is estimated that LDH will require an additional 60 days for collection and review of the prospective records before they will be available for inspection or reproduction.

It is possible that after this review that some or all of the prospective records may be exempt from disclosure, or that confidentiality and/or privilege issues may prevent the disclosure of the requested records. If so, LDH will contact you immediately to state the legal basis for withholding any records responsive to your request.

Sincerely,

Mark J. Semien
Attorney Supervisor
Bureau of Legal Services (BLS)

--- Please respond above this line ---

RE: Public Records Request of December 13, 2023, Reference # P003654-121323
Dear Charles Yerkes,
The Louisiana Department of Health received a public information request from you on December 13, 2023. Your request mentioned: “To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Louisiana Public Records Law, I hereby request the following records:

Dear Louisiana Department of Health, Office of the Secretary,

I am writing to request public records from the Louisiana Department of Health under the Freedom of Information Act. I am seeking the following documents for the period from January 1, 2015, to the present:
Official memos, policy documents, and guidelines concerning the medicinal use of marijuana.

Correspondence between the Louisiana Department of Health and medical institutions or institutions researching and growing medical marijuana in Louisiana.

Any reports, studies, or assessments conducted or commissioned by the Louisiana Department of Health concerning the medicinal properties and uses of marijuana.

These documents will provide me with educational insight into medical marijuana, its regulation, and its impact on the medical community and patients in Louisiana.

I am willing to pay any reasonable fees associated with the production and delivery of these documents. Please inform me of any charges in advance. Thank you for your attention to this request. I look forward to your response within the statutory period. You can contact me at cyerkes3@tulane.edu with the information.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 3 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Charles Yerkes

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/
This letter is to clarify the information that you are seeking from the Louisiana Department of Health:
We are still currently reviewing the records you requested. The fee for these records will likely exceed $200. As per your request, we are notifying you in advance of any charges. How would you like to proceed?
If you would like for the Louisiana Department of Health to proceed with your public information request, please provide clarifications within fifteen (15) days from 01/31/2024. Otherwise, the Louisiana Department of Health will consider your request withdrawn.
You may provide a response to the Louisiana Department of Health by any of the following methods:
* by responding to this email or
* by regular mail to Louisiana Department of Health  628 N. 4th Street (70802) P.O. Box 3836 Baton Rouge, LA  70821
Upon receipt of your clarification, the Louisiana Department of Health will further respond to your  Request as required by law, including providing you with an estimate of costs associated with producing the requested records.
If you have any questions, please reply to this email communication. Thank you for your attention.
Sincerely,
Mark J. Semien
Attorney Supervisor
Bureau of Legal Services (BLS)

Dear Charles Yerkes,
In regards to your Public Records Request, which we received on 12/13/2023, we requested clarification from you 15 days ago. To date, we have not received a response. The Louisiana Department of Health now considers this request CLOSED. If you would still like the records, please submit another Public Records Request. Thank you for using the LDH Records Center.
Request Details:
Reference # P003654-121323
Description of Records Requested: