NORML
Baton Rouge, LA: Republican Gov. Jeff Landy has signed legislation (HB 568) into law increasing criminal penalties for anyone who consumes marijuana on or within 2,000 feet of any school or university property. The new law takes effect August 1st.
Under the law, “smoking, vaping, or otherwise abusing” cannabis on campus or within proximity of school property is enhanced to a felony offense, punishable by one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Violators will likely not be eligible for either probation or parole.
Governor Landry said that he pushed for the bill’s passage because he was “tired … of being inundated with the smell of marijuana” during college sport events. “We are bringing back the greatness of these family-friendly environments,” he said in a post on X.
Although Louisiana had previously imposed some of the strictest marijuana penalties in the nation, in recent years lawmakers had revised many of those policies. Specifically, former Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards signed legislation in 2021 removing the threat of jail time for low-level cannabis possession offenses.
According to statewide polling, most Louisianans support legalizing cannabis for adults.
Separate legislation, Senate Bill 270, permitting terminally ill patients to access certain non-smoked medical cannabis products in hospital settings became law absent action from the Governor.
Additional information on state-specific marijuana legislation is available from NORML’s Take Action Center.
Louisiana: Governor Signs Bill Into Law Significantly Increasing Marijuana Penalties
