First cannabis dispensary opens on Bourbon Street

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - NOLA Cannabis has opened on Bourbon Street, becoming the first dispensary to open in the French Quarter.

Elizabeth Sharma is visiting New Orleans for the first time with her husband. The couple is from Canada.

“We’re very happy we at least have one here,” Sharma said. “My husband is a type-1 diabetic, and he has peripheral neuropathy, so he’s using it for medical purposes. In Canada, it’s legal. We were looking for a place where we could find some.”

Sharma said traveling across the United States can be challenging because of her husband’s condition and laws around medical marijuana.

“Some places, it’s highly illegal and there aren’t any dispensaries. When he’s in pain and he needs the medical marijuana, he’s not able to get it and he can be in pain for days. It kind of ruins our adventures. So, we were so happy that in beautiful New Orleans, there was a place where we could obtain the medical marijuana,” Sharma said.

The dispensary spans 16,000 square feet across three stories. NOLA Cannabis said the store combines patient service, cannabis education and art. Through telehealth, customers can consult with a doctor to determine eligibility for a medical card.

Co-owner Captain Lee Jackson said in a press release his goal is to make cannabis better understood and more accepted, while maintaining safety and regulatory standards.

Not everyone supports dispensaries or the use of marijuana. Those who oppose it say it is a quality of life issue.

Jane, visiting from the U.K., said, “Walking around, that’s all I can smell is marijuana. Each their own, it’s not for me personally, but yeah, you can definitely smell it when you walk around.”

Scotty Booker, who lives in the French Quarter, supports the business and hopes it curbs illegal drug sales.

“A lot of times people buy from people that they don’t know and I think it’s much safer to just do it here,” Booker said.

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