Workers inside a temporary medical cannabis growing operation in Baker are preparing hundreds of plants each month that are being used to manufacture cannabis products for patients across the state while a major expansion is under construction.
For about two years, Ilera Holistic Healthcare has been the licensee for Southern University, which is conducting research at the site while the company crafts its commercial products. Ilera began selling its THC products for the first time in Louisiana in July — joining LSU-licensee Wellcana as the two state-approved medical cannabis providers in the state. The products are sold through nine specially licensed pharmacies across major metro areas in Louisiana.
Each of the cannabis plants at Ilera's Baker facility off Plank Road being used to create medicine began as clones from mother plants of various strains chosen by the company and university researchers.
"It's genetic preservation," said Brandon DeBoer, cultivation manager at Ilera. "The purpose of a mother is that when you find the strongest genetics, then you're saving it so you don't have to keep growing from seed where you'd get a random plant. Instead, you have a genetic clone you can keep cutting off."
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