Ask Gov. Edwards to sign medical cannabis flower legislation, too.

On Monday, Gov. John Bel Edwards signed HB 652 into law!

This new law will save thousands of Louisianans from being incarcerated for small amounts of cannabis. Effective August 1, the penalty for possessing up to 14 grams of cannabis will be reduced to a fine of up to $100.

Meanwhile, another important bill — HB 391 — is on Gov. Edwards’ desk.  HB 391 would allow medical cannabis patients to use whole-plant, flower cannabis, which is allowed in all but one other medical cannabis state. Ask the governor to sign it into law.

Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard for humane cannabis policies in Louisiana, including Louisiana Progress — which led the charge on legalization and decriminalization advocacy this year; Kevin Caldwell and Common Sense NOLA, whose trailblazing local decriminalization efforts laid the foundation for statewide reform; and Sensible Marijuana Policy for Louisiana, who have been key to medical cannabis progress and broader reform over the years. We are also so grateful to Rep. Cedric Glover for sponsoring HB 652.

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Ask Gov. Edwards to sign HB 652 into law! 

On Monday, the Louisiana Senate voted to pass HB 652 — which would reduce the penalty for possessing up to 14 grams of cannabis to a fine of up to $100. The House already passed the bill, so it now heads to Gov. John Bel Edwards’ desk.

Email Gov. Edwards today ask him to sign this important reform into law.

Louisiana was the incarceration capital of the United States until recently. While the legislature has reduced several penalties, many continue to be jaw-droppingly harsh and tear families apart. Under current law, a first offense for possessing up to 14 grams carries up to 15 days in jail. The penalty increases for additional convictions, and a fourth or subsequent simple possession offense carries up to eight years in jail.

Please ask Gov. Edwards to reduce this vastly disproportionate penalty by signing HB 652 into law.

Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard for humane cannabis policies in Louisiana, including Louisiana Progress — which led the charge on legalization and decriminalization advocacy this year; Kevin Caldwell and Common Sense NOLA, whose trailblazing local decriminalization efforts laid the foundation for statewide reform; and Sensible Marijuana Policy for Louisiana, who have been key to medical cannabis progress and broader reform over the years. We are also so grateful to Rep. Cedric Glover for sponsoring the bill.

P.S. In other news, the bill to allow medical cannabis flower — HB 391 — is now headed to Gov. Edwards, too! Meanwhile, the Senate gutted and replaced the bill to tax medical cannabis flower, HB 514. The House did not concur, so that bill is headed to conference.

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Gov. John Bel Edwards has signed HB 579 and HB 627, which expand the qualifying conditions for medical marijuana! These two bills add a variety of new conditions including autism, PTSD, and intractable pain.

This is a great step towards Louisiana having a functional medical marijuana program. Next session, we are hopeful the legislature will allow the vaporization of medical marijuana so that patients can finally have real access to the medicine they need.

Congratulations to Sensible Marijuana Policy for Louisiana and all the activists that showed up to the statehouse and contacted their lawmakers in support of these reforms!

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On Monday, SB 35, Sen. Yvonne Colomb’s bill to establish legal protections for medical cannabis industry workers, was approved by the Louisiana House. It now heads to Governor John Bel Edwards, who is expected to sign it into law.

The passage of this bill is critical to ensuring Louisiana will someday finally have a workable medical marijuana program. However, there are a few other tweaks — either to regulations that put doctors at risk under federal law or to statutes to require those regulations to be fixed — needed to ensure a workable program.

MPP sends hearty congratulations to everyone who contacted their elected officials on behalf of this important bill, particularly the hardworking team at Sensible Marijuana Policy for Louisiana who have spent years on the ground organizing on behalf of the seriously ill in the state.

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On Wednesday, the Louisiana House of Representatives passed Sen. Fred Mills’ SB 271 in a 62-31 vote, bringing your state one step closer to a workable medical marijuana program. Now the bill returns to the Senate for a concurrence before moving on to Gov. John Bel Edwards — who is supportive — for his signature. You can read a summary of the bill here.

However, SB 271 alone will not end the flaws in Louisiana’s current medical marijuana law, which is why Sen. Mills has also introduced SB 180. This bill has passed the Senate and is currently in the House. Should both bills pass, Louisiana becomes the first state in the Deep South to adopt a workable medical marijuana program!

If you are a Louisiana resident, please click here to find out how your lawmakers voted and ask them to show support for a compassionate program. (Once you type in your zip code, the correct email will automatically load based on how your legislators voted.)

The end of the legislative session is drawing near, and we only have a few more weeks to seek reform from lawmakers in Baton Rouge.

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This morning, two MPP-designed billboards were launched in Baton Rouge and Shreveport, featuring mothers and their young children who face intractable epilepsy. The billboards read: “Medical marijuana would help my child. Will our legislators?” and urge viewers to ask their representatives to support medical marijuana legislation.

The full Louisiana House could vote on SB 271 — which would fix a fatal flaw in the state’s existing medical marijuana bill — as soon as tomorrow.  Please, call or email your representative before they cast their vote.

The sheriffs' association is lobbying vigorously against the bill, and representatives need to hear an outpouring of support from constituents calling on them to do the right thing. SB 271 has already passed the Senate — after initially falling short in a vote — and Gov. John Bel Edwards has said he will sign it.

If you'd like to help reform marijuana laws in Louisiana, please contact Sensible Marijuana Policy for Louisiana and find out how you can get involved.

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