LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — The local state-approved medical marijuana pharmacy has received an influx of supplies.

The only one for Acadiana, The Apothecary Shoppe, is located in Lafayette. They admit they had to ration supplies at one point, but that dry spell is over.

Louisiana has designated nine pharmacies that can fill the doctor’s recommendation for raw or smokable medical marijuana.

The Lafayette location, which is in the Acadiana Region, is one of those pharmacies.

The Apothecary Shoppe Marketing Manager Blair Vidrine explains the flower supply allocated to them was getting low but is now restocked.

“The supply that we received today was more than the two suppliers combined,” Vidrine stated.

Vidrine says by state law they’re only able to get supply from two state growers — LSU Agriculture Center, which works under the company Good Day Farms, and Southern University, which has Ilera Healthcare.

Vidrine believes the two growers are sufficient.

“But the main tie-up for everybody has been the Department of Agriculture and Forestry. They are responsible for doing all the testing for both universities.  I think they are just kind of overworked in terms of being able to handle the need and the demand.”

Vidrine says the supply they received today is double what they get from the two state-approved suppliers combined.

“We should be able to lift some of the limits that we had to put on patients only being able to purchase a certain amount,” Vidrine added.

Stephen Stearman is the CEO and founder of Elevate Holistics.  

It’s a telehealth platform that Stearman says provides patients with the required marijuana cards or doctor recommendations to obtain medical marijuana.

“You’re going to see more and more telemedicine pop-up all over the state, especially as supply issues iron out and especially as more dispensaries open up,” Stearman explained.

Stearman calls Elevate Holistics a one-stop-shop.

“For everything the patient needs — where to know; do they qualify, where can they go acquire and get the necessary forms to then go participate in the Louisiana Medical Program,” Stearman notes.