Louisiana university’s medical cannabis partner undergoing ownership feud

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Southern University in Louisiana has contracted with a company to run the school’s medical marijuana program, but the firm’s principals are embroiled in an ownership struggle.

According to The Advocate, the Baton Rouge university said Thursday it had signed a contract with the two majority owners of Advanced Biomedics. Southern picked the company last fall to oversee its MMJ program, as mandated by state law.

The Lafayette company’s majority owner, Carrol Castille, and the founder and minority owner, Chad Bodin, have been battling in court for weeks, with Bodin claiming Castille failed to provide promised funds for the business, the newspaper reported.

The contract was signed on assurances Advanced Biomedics is working to resolve the ongoing feud.

Southern spokeswoman Lakeeshia Giddens Lusk wrote in an email to The Advocate that the owners have reached a resolution in principle and are working on the details.

According to Lusk, the university advised Castille and Bodin it would select another vendor if they couldn’t resolve the dispute. Southern gave the company until Thursday to reach a resolution.

The other school given the authority to run an MMJ production program in the state, Louisiana State University, and its partner, GB Sciences Louisiana, are moving forward on building a cultivation facility.

– Associated Press