A bill to decriminalize
cannabis in Louisiana went into effect on Aug. 1.
House Bill 652, which Gov. John Bel Edwards signed into law on June 15,
removes the threat of jail time and reduces the maximum penalty to a $100 fine
for first-time offenders who possess up to 14 grams of cannabis.
As previously reported by Cannabis Business Times, under
the state’s previous legislation, individuals who possessed an ounce of cannabis or less
could be charged with 15 days in jail and a $300 fine for the first conviction.
Following that, penalties would increase for the second, third and fourth
convictions.
RELATED: Louisiana Gov.John Bel Edwards Signs Cannabis Decriminalization Bill Into Law
Now, Louisiana has joined
several other states that have implemented decriminalization bills, and made
history by becoming one of few Southern states to pass similar legislation, Lafourche
Gazette reported.
State Rep. Cedric Glover, who
sponsored the bill, said, “When I saw two city council members in my
hometown of Shreveport—one conservative and one progressive—find the common
ground needed to come together and find the way to decriminalize personal-use
marijuana possession there, I knew it was time to take this reform to the state
level. Criminalizing marijuana possession is harmful to the people of Louisiana
in so many ways, but it’s been particularly harmful for black and brown
communities, lower-income folks, and young people. My fervent hope is that this
new law will finally bring some relief and a feeling of freedom to those
communities.”
Policy and Advocacy Director
at Louisiana Progress,
Peter Robins-Brown, also weighed in on the legislation, stating it’s “the
first step in modernizing marijuana policy in Louisiana, and it’s another
milestone in the ongoing effort to address our incarceration crisis, which has
trapped so many people in a cycle of poverty and prison.”
“Now it’s time to make
sure that everyone knows their rights under this new law and that law
enforcement officers understand how to properly implement it,” Brown
added.
