Ilera Holistic Healthcare

Ilera Holistic Healthcare (IHH) is the medical marijuana cultivator and processor whose mission is to help Louisianans by producing pharmaceutical grade medical marijuana products and engaging in research to further the medical marijuana industry. Since November 2018, IHH has partnered with Southern University, one of only two cannabis license holders in the state, to further this mission and empower Louisiana patients to have access to safe, effective cannabinoid medicine.
Under the leadership of CEO Dr. Chanda Macias, IHH launched its first products with Southern in 2020: a hemp-derived CBD product line ALAFIA (which means “inner peace” in the Yoruba language) launched in January, followed by the introduction of cannabis-based AYO (Yoruba for “joy”) in July. These two events made U.S. history, as Southern became the first Historically Black College/University (HBCU) in the nation to launch both a hemp and cannabis product, respectively.
Ilera Holistic was a driving force in the education and advocacy in Louisiana that resulted in the passage into state law of ACT No 286, which granted all Louisiana patients full access to medical cannabis and the right to discuss alternative healthcare options with their doctors by allowing any state-licensed physician to recommend medical marijuana to any of their patients to find relief for any condition.
In October 2020, Ilera Holistic launched in Louisiana its most successful product to date, the HOPE™ brand of cannabis-based treatments for the symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Scientific research shows cannabis to be safe and effective on patients (including children) to treat ASD, and patients who use it have reported significant improvement in quality of life, mood, and sleep–and less reliance on other medications.
First introduced in Pennsylvania in 2019, HOPE™ was formulated by Zelira Therapeutics, a leading global therapeutic medical cannabis company, and Erica Daniels, founder of Hope Grows for Autism, a nonprofit aimed at improving the lives of families affected by autism through research, education and advocacy of medical marijuana.

In May 2021, IHH partnered with PAX Labs to introduce its first inhalable products in the state of Louisiana, pairing the PAX Era Pro™ inhaler platform with IHH’s medical cannabis formulations. The partnership debuted with FREEDOM™, a new line of cannabis products formulated specially for veterans. The groundbreaking agreement was a major step in the IHH’s mission to provide patients with the most advanced medical cannabis options.
In Louisiana, Ilera Holistic’s product research and development is done in conjunction with Southern University’s Agricultural (“Ag”) Center’s Southern Institute for Medicinal Plants, helmed by Janana Snowden, the institute’s director and an assistant professor of agriculture at Southern University Baton Rouge. The institute and Ag Center have long researched plants–such as hibiscus–in addition to cannabis.
With the launch of both CBD and THC medical marijuana products, the Ilera/Southern partnership has set the standard in innovation in the Louisiana medical cannabis market. And, in addition to providing healthcare options for Louisiana residents, Ilera Holistic prioritizes hiring local talent as it continues to grow, recognizing the positive impact on the state economy.
As part of its unwavering mission to deliver cannabinoid-based solutions to all Louisianans, Ilera Holistic believes in supporting the total wellness of its Louisiana neighbors, especially its vulnerable communities. Most recently Ilera Holistic and Southern teamed up to help organize Disaster Relief Distribution and Health Services in Lake Charles in the aftermath of the destructive and unprecedented series of hurricanes in 2020.
All Ilera Holistic hemp- and cannabis-derived products are grown, cultivated, processed and packaged in Louisiana and are available exclusively through state-licensed MMJ pharmacies to all Louisiana patients and families through a doctor’s prescription.