Louisiana legislators continue to pursue wrong priorities and ignore real solutions

Instead of making it a priority to protect medical marijuana patients in 2012, Louisiana legislators were once again more concerned with making life more difficult for low-income individuals. Sponsored by Rep. Sherman Mack, H.B. 380 would have required random drug testing of at least 20% of recipients of cash assistance in the Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program. H.B. 380 passed the House 65-26, but fortunately, it stalled in the Senate.

In 2011, the legislature almost passed a welfare discrimination bill, H.B. 7, but backed off at the last second after MPP members took action. This type of bill will almost certainly be considered again in 2013. Please make sure you're signed up for MPP's email alerts so we can call on you again to oppose this type of wasteful, discriminatory legislation.

Sadly, Louisiana still does not have a law that effectively protects medical marijuana patients from arrest. Over the last several sessions, Louisiana legislators have been too busy trying to increase marijuana penalties and discriminate against marijuana users to introduce compassionate medical marijuana legislation. Please email your state legislators to ask them to provide medical marijuana patients with the protection they need. 

Learn about Louisiana's marijuana laws

Louisiana has some of the harshest marijuana laws in the country. First-offense possession of even a single joint is punishable by up to six months in jail.

In 2010, S.B. 576 passed into law and actually increased the penalty for second-offense marijuana possession by including a mandatory minimum fine of at least $250 and 48 hours in jail. Also in 2010, the legislature passed H.B. 117, a parole revocation bill that treats with slightly more lenience certain offenders who are convicted of simple possession of marijuana while on parole. It also passed S.B. 502, which removed possession of less than 60 lbs. of marijuana from the legal definition of racketeering, so that only those individuals who possessed 60 lbs. or more may be charged.

You can learn more about Louisiana’s marijuana penalties and enforcement by reading this report by Jon Gettman, Ph.D. You can send a letter to your legislators asking them to reduce the penalty for possession of marijuana to a civil fine or asking them to end marijuana prohibition entirely.

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