Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
At least two legislators are going to push bills to allow medical marijuana in Louisiana, but no proposals to legalize other types of marijuana use have been introduced so far.
Legislation to simply lessen the criminal penalties for pot possession was shot down in the Louisiana Legislature last year, and lawmakers have said they don't think Louisiana is prepared for legal recreation use of marijuana yet.
In other words, Louisiana is not going to go the Colorado route any time soon.
Yet Louisiana residents overwhelmingly embrace medicinal pot use. Almost 80 percent of state citizens surveyed by LSU last year thought marijuana should be legal for medical purposes. Around 44 percent said marijuana should be legal for recreational purposes as well.
Still, there is an uphill battle when it comes to marijuana legalization in the state Capitol. Law enforcement groups -- including the powerful Louisiana Sheriffs Association -- have been fiercely opposed to any legalization efforts. The sheriffs didn't even back a bill to lessen penalties for pot possession last year.
Louisiana has some of the harshest penalties for marijuana possession in the country. In 2014, the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union told a legislative committee that over 1,300 people were serving sentences in Louisiana for simple marijuana possession. The average length of the sentence was over eight year, according to the ACLU.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: How far should Louisiana go when it comes to marijuana? | NOLA.com
Author: Julia O'Donoghue
Contact: julia_odonoghue@nola.com
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: New Orleans, LA Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - NOLA.com
Legislation to simply lessen the criminal penalties for pot possession was shot down in the Louisiana Legislature last year, and lawmakers have said they don't think Louisiana is prepared for legal recreation use of marijuana yet.
In other words, Louisiana is not going to go the Colorado route any time soon.
Yet Louisiana residents overwhelmingly embrace medicinal pot use. Almost 80 percent of state citizens surveyed by LSU last year thought marijuana should be legal for medical purposes. Around 44 percent said marijuana should be legal for recreational purposes as well.
Still, there is an uphill battle when it comes to marijuana legalization in the state Capitol. Law enforcement groups -- including the powerful Louisiana Sheriffs Association -- have been fiercely opposed to any legalization efforts. The sheriffs didn't even back a bill to lessen penalties for pot possession last year.
Louisiana has some of the harshest penalties for marijuana possession in the country. In 2014, the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union told a legislative committee that over 1,300 people were serving sentences in Louisiana for simple marijuana possession. The average length of the sentence was over eight year, according to the ACLU.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: How far should Louisiana go when it comes to marijuana? | NOLA.com
Author: Julia O'Donoghue
Contact: julia_odonoghue@nola.com
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: New Orleans, LA Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - NOLA.com
