Ask your state senator to stop jailing cannabis consumers!

Yesterday, the Louisiana Senate voted to allow medical cannabis in its raw, flower form in a 23-14 vote!

The Senate made some tweaks to the bill (HB 391), so it will head back to the House before landing on Gov. John Bel Edwards’ desk. The Senate has not yet voted on the separate bill (HB 514),  which MPP opposes, that would tax flower cannabis.

Meanwhile, a Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a bill (HB 652) to decriminalize possession of up to 14 grams of cannabis. The full Senate could vote on it as soon as Tuesday.

Write your state senator today to ask them to vote “yes” on HB 652. Let them know Louisianans shouldn’t be thrown in jail for using a substance that is safer than alcohol.

HB 652 would reduce the maximum penalty for possession of up to 14 grams to a $100 fine. Right now, the penalty  is up to 15 days in jail and/or a fine of up to $300.

While progress is being made, the legislature lags far behind the public on cannabis policy reform. Polling shows two-thirds of Louisiana voters support legalization, but efforts to end cannabis prohibition have died on the House floor.

Rep. Richard Nelson’s legalization bill — HB 699 — was pulled from consideration after a companion cannabis tax bill failed. And yesterday, the House voted down Rep. Candace Newell’s bill to set up a framework for legalization — HB 709 — in a 39-62 vote.

Several cities aren’t waiting for the legislature to roll back Louisiana’s devastating and racist war on marijuana. New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and East Baton Rouge have all decriminalized marijuana in recent years. More recently, New Orleans Council President Helana Moreno proposed an ordinance to dismiss all pending cases for misdemeanor possession of marijuana and pardon anyone who has a conviction. Almost 10,000 cases and convictions could be cleared.

Stay tuned for more updates, and don’t forget to write your state senator in support of decriminalization. It will save thousands of Louisianans from the trauma, disrespect, and disruption of being jailed for cannabis.

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Ask your state senator to allow — but not tax — flower cannabis.

This evening, the Louisiana Senate is scheduled to consider allowing raw/flower medical cannabis (HB 391), along with a separate bill that would impose state and local sales tax on it (HB 514). Both bills have already passed the House.

Ask your state senator to vote “yes” on allowing flower (HB 391) and “no” on  taxing suffering patients (HB 514).

We also have disappointing news on the legalization front. Rep. Richard Nelson’s marijuana legalization bill (HB 699) was pulled from consideration on the House floor after a companion bill to tax sales (HB 434) was voted down. The tax bill required a two-thirds vote, but only received 47 yeas and 49 nays.

On a brighter note, Gov. John Bel Edwards recently acknowledged legalization “is going to happen in Louisiana eventually.” His comments suggest he is beginning to come around on the issue.

In other news, Rep. Cedric Glover’s bill to stop jailing those found with up to 14 grams of cannabis (HB 652) has been scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow. It already passed the House in a 68-25 vote. 

Please send a note to your state senator to ask them to support Rep. Glover’s decriminalization bill. Let them know Louisiana needs to stop turning lives upside down over a plant that is safer than alcohol.

Thank you for supporting humane cannabis policies!

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We're writing to send a correction and a handful of updates:

• Correction: The 6-5 committee vote tally was incomplete — it did not include Chair Ted James’ vote in favor. The final committee vote on HB 524 (Rep. Richard Nelson’s legalization bill) was 7-5.
• You can find our updated summary of the bill, as amended yesterday, here.
• After the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee approved HB 524, it passed another legalization bill — Rep. Candace Newell’s HB 243 — in a 6-5 vote. Both bills are headed to the House floor and could receive a vote as early as next week.
• The House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee hearing on HB 652, is being rescheduled for next week. It would reduce the penalty for up to 14 grams of cannabis to a $50 fine, or an alternate penalty in lieu of a fine for those who can’t pay.
• Speaker Tanner McGee’s bill to allow medical cannabis in its natural, raw form (HB 391) is out of committee and has been scheduled for a floor debate on May 3.

Make sure to let your lawmakers know where you stand on these important bills to roll back Louisiana’s war on marijuana! You can write your lawmakers in support of legalization here, or contact them in support of allowing flower medical cannabis here.

Ask your state lawmakers to support HB 524.

Great news! In a 6-5 vote, the Louisiana House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee voted to advance Rep. Richard Nelson’s bill to legalize and regulate marijuana for adults 21 and older. It now heads to the full House of Representatives!

This is the first time a legislative committee in Louisiana has voted to legalize marijuana.

Ask your state lawmakers to support this sensible measure.

Before the vote, Rep. Nelson amended his bill based on legal advice. It had initially included a voter-referral, but he was advised that Louisiana lawmakers cannot delegate this type of policy decision to voters.

Despite two-to-one popular support for legalization in Louisiana, the witnesses at committee were lopsided in opposition. Several members of law enforcement signed up in opposition and peddled misleading information — including falsely claiming teen marijuana use goes up after legalization.

In the face of powerful opposition, it is extremely important that state representatives hear that their constituents want them to end the disastrous war on marijuana.

Send your state legislators an email today and spread the word on social media. Let them know it’s past time Louisiana stop tearing apart families over cannabis, and that it instead should start creating good jobs and generating hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues to improve the wellbeing of the state’s residents.

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Ask your state lawmakers to support HB 524.

Great news! In a 6-5 vote, the Louisiana House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee voted to advance Rep. Richard Nelson’s bill to legalize and regulate marijuana for adults 21 and older. It now heads to the full House of Representatives!

This is the first time a legislative committee in Louisiana has voted to legalize marijuana.

Ask your state lawmakers to support this sensible measure.

Before the vote, Rep. Nelson amended his bill based on legal advice. It had initially included a voter-referral, but he was advised that Louisiana lawmakers cannot delegate this type of policy decision to voters.

Despite two-to-one popular support for legalization in Louisiana, the witnesses at committee were lopsided in opposition. Several members of law enforcement signed up in opposition and peddled misleading information — including falsely claiming teen marijuana use goes up after legalization.

In the face of powerful opposition, it is extremely important that state representatives hear that their constituents want them to end the disastrous war on marijuana.

Send your state legislators an email today and spread the word on social media. Let them know it’s past time Louisiana stop tearing apart families over cannabis, and that it instead should start creating good jobs and generating hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues to improve the wellbeing of the state’s residents.

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Ask your legislators to support allowing medical cannabis in its natural form.

On Monday, lawmakers returned to Baton Rouge for their 2021 legislative session. More than a dozen cannabis policy bills have been proposed — including bills to legalize cannabis and to allow flower cannabis in the state’s medical cannabis program.

Louisiana is one of only two states whose comprehensive medical cannabis program prohibits cannabis in its natural, whole-plant form. Extracts are more costly, so this puts medical cannabis out of reach of many Louisianans. Louisiana also prohibits inhaled marijuana — other than nebulizers — which also prevents many patients from using the mode of administration that works best for them. HB 391 would change that by adding raw, flower cannabis to Louisiana’s medical marijuana program.

Ask your legislators to support HB 391, to allow patients to use the form of cannabis that works best for them.

We are also encouraged that both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have sponsored bills to legalize cannabis for all adults. Rep. Richard Nelson’s HB 524 would refer the question of legalization to voters in 2022, while Rep. Candace Newell’s HBs 243 and 637 would operate together to legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis. Call your state lawmakers to let them know it’s past time Louisiana replace its failed war on marijuana with a more thoughtful approach.

Then, please spread the word so that other Louisianans can raise their voices for humane, sensible cannabis policies.

Thank you.

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