Louisiana Ends Jail Time For Small Amounts Of Marijuana
“This is not a decision I took lightly”
People in Louisiana caught with small amounts of recreational marijuana will soon face a misdemeanor fine and no possibility of jail time, under a bill that Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Tuesday he has signed into law.
The measure sponsored by Shreveport Rep. Cedric Glover, a Democrat, won narrow, bipartisan support in the legislative session that ended Thursday. With the Democratic governor’s signature, the new law will take effect Aug. 1.
Glover’s bill makes possession of up to 14 grams of marijuana — a half-ounce — a misdemeanor crime carrying a fine up to $100 with no possibility of jail time, even for repeat offenses.
“This is not a decision I took lightly,” Edwards said in his statement announcing the bill signing.
He described the legislation as another step in Louisiana’s “criminal justice reform efforts.”
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