Louisiana House Drops Jail Time For Possession Of Up To 14 Grams Of Cannabis

Louisiana House of Representative approved a cannabis-related legislative bill Tuesday night in a 67 to 25 vote, which should remove jail time for low-level cannabis possession offenses, reported NORML

House Bill 652 was first unanimously approved by the House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice last week. It will now be sent to the Senate for review.

The measure proposes that possession of up to 14 grams of cannabis should be penalized only with a $100 fine. These offenses will remain considered as misdemeanors even without the possibility of jail time, according to NORML.

A separate bill – House Bill 699, which will be discussed on the House floor Tuesday, aims to legalize and regulate adult-use cannabis.  

Another measure, House Bill 637, which also proposes adult-use cannabis legalization but with a focus on social equity, is set for a public hearing on Wednesday.

Last week, Louisiana's House of Representatives approved yet another cannabis-related measure: House Bill 391, which aims to abolish the prohibition on doctors recommending medical cannabis in particular forms, reported NORML.

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