10:30 LRN Newscast March 26

After repeated delays, the Louisiana Association of Therapeutic Alternatives has demanded that medical marijuana be available by May 15th. It was almost four years ago when the state legislature approved the framework for dispensing and L-A-T-A executive director Jesse McCormick says it’s time for the product to hit the shelves…
cut 3 (09) “….can’t execute”
The L-A-T-A group made their request at a stakeholders meeting involving state ag commissioner Mike Strain, who says testing will be a critical part of the process.

Many women in coastal southeast Louisiana are still experiencing high levels of trauma nearly a decade after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. That’s according to an LSU Health New Orleans study.Lead author Dr. Ed Peters says unfortunately less than half reported receiving mental health treatment…
Cut 6 (10) “…to seek treatment.”
Nearly two-thousand women participated in the study.

Louisiana Republican Party Chairman Louis Gurvich has asked the two GOP candidates for governor, Eddie Rispone and Ralph Abraham, not to attack each other.
cut 9 (11) “…the state”
Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says in 2015 the republican candidates attacked former Senator David Vitter so much, he was wounded when he faced Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards in the runoff.

The legislative session is less than two weeks away and the governor and legislators are expected to make a strong effort towards giving teachers a pay raise. House Appropriations Chairman Cameron Henry backs the across-the-board raise and says merit based hikes would be difficult to implement…
cut 12 (11) “…environment”
Henry has introduced a proposed budget for next fiscal year that contains a one-thousand dollar teacher pay raise.