Louisiana marijuana possession penalty increase passes Senate

Published: May 18, 2010

As states across the country continue to move towards a more thoughtful policy on marijuana, Louisianans are having to fight to prevent their state from moving backwards. Legislation that would increase the penalty for second-offense marijuana possession is under consideration in the Louisiana Senate. On May 11, the Senate Judiciary Committee C had reported S.B. 576 favorably out of committee. S.B. 576 will now move to the House and will receive a floor vote after another committee hearing.

Please e-mail your representative today and ask her or him to oppose this absurd legislation!

SB 576, introduced by Sen. Dan Claitor (R–Baton Rouge), would require an individual convicted a second time of simple marijuana possession to pay a mandatory fine of at least $250 — at most $2,000! — while at the same time retaining the provision that could also land the offender in prison with hard labor for five years. Additionally, Sen. Claitor’s "tough" legislation would require the offender spend at least 48 hours in jail, without the benefit of parole, probation, or suspension, unless the offender attends mandatory drug abuse treatment and completes 48 hours of community service.

Recent budget cuts affecting state agencies, non-profits across Louisiana, and public television demonstrate that increasing penalties for possession of a substance safer than alcohol is absurd public policy. The money wasted on incarcerating men and women across Louisiana for simply possessing marijuana could be better spent on any of the vital services that have been hit hard, including working on rebuilding New Orleans and dealing with the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Louisiana senators, don’t you have better things to do? Let your legislator know the state should be reducing, not increasing, penalties for marijuana possession.

Thank you so much for supporting the Marijuana Policy Project and for all your hard work. Please pass this alert on to friends and family who support sensible marijuana policies.