The Louisiana House of Representatives passes cannabis destruction legislation

The Louisiana House of Representatives recently passed a bill to improve the state’s penal program for cannabis possession convictions. Rep. Delisha Boyd supported the bill, which passed by a vote of 69 to 30. “House Bill 286 is a proposal for a reduction in first offense marijuana cancellation fees. “I have worked closely with the DA Association, sheriffs and officers to finalize this bill,” Boyd said at the May 23 hearing.

The Democratic caucus of the Louisiana House of Representatives also recently reported on social media about the passage of the law. “Passed through the House of Representatives today, this bill will make it easier for people to get the relief and justice they need and deserve after conviction. #LaLege #LaGov.”

The bill was amended by representatives in the House of Representatives, including passing the proposal that would only apply to 14 grams or less and stipulating that the fee for those convicted of cannabis possession misdemeanors would be capped at a maximum of $300 would.

According to the draft law, these fees will be immediately distributed to the appropriate channels. “The clerk will promptly forward collected handling fees to the sheriff and district attorney, and the amount of the handling fee will be remitted equally to the district attorney’s office and the sheriff’s general fund immediately upon receipt,” the bill reads states.

HB-286 is currently being advanced in the Senate. On May 24 it was read by title and scheduled for a second reading, followed by a second reading on May 25 and a referral to Judiciary Committee C.

Another Louisiana bill passed a committee on May 23. According to Rep. Mandie Landry, House Bill 351 has gone through the Labor and Industrial Relations Committee, which has a reputation for making it difficult to pass bills. “Nothing makes it out of the working committee here,” Landry said, according to Fox8. “No minimum wage, no job protections… It’s really hard.” The bill aims to protect workers with medical cannabis cards by giving them unemployment benefits if they’re fired for testing positive for cannabis.

HB-351 passed by a vote of 6 to 5, but the opposition raised concerns about employer liability if an employee is under the influence of cannabis during work hours. One member said the bill was not the right solution, arguing that it would need to be “reviewed very carefully over an extended period of time”.

Landry responded, arguing that a solution was needed now. “Medical marijuana is legal,” Landry said. “Everyone has the right to question their employer or the state and ask, ‘Why am I losing my job for using something legal?’ This is a problem created by the state.”

In April, Senators Stewart Cathey and Sen. Jay Morris claimed they were misled when they voted to pass Senate Bill 219. “In the last session, we unwittingly created a recreational THC market in Louisiana,” Cathey said. “It was not the intention of the legislature to authorize a nationwide spate of unregulated markets for THC psychoactive drugs.”

“If we want to legalize [recreational THC]”What hasn’t happened has to happen openly and honestly,” Morris said. “It was sold to the legislature as if we wouldn’t allow psychoactive materials.” HB-351 hasn’t progressed since Cathey and Morris made those statements.

Louisiana’s cannabis decriminalization, along with 250 other laws, went into effect in August 2021. Peter Robins-Brown, director of policy and advocacy at Louisiana Progress, shared his hope for the future. “Decriminalizing marijuana will really change the lives of people in our state,” Robins-Brown said. “It is an important first step in modernizing Louisiana’s marijuana policy and another milestone in the ongoing effort to address our incarceration crisis that has trapped so many people in a cycle of poverty and prison. Now is the time to make sure everyone knows their rights under this new law and that law enforcement officials understand how to properly implement it.”