50°
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
7 Day Forecast
Follow our weather team on social media

Marijuana bill up for debate

Related Story

BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana House of Representatives voted to decriminalize the possession of marijuana in a 67-25 vote Tuesday night. 

The bill HB-652, presented by Rep. Cedric B. Glover, would make possession of marijuana a misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $100 for possessing 14 grams (1/2 of an ounce) or less, even if the suspect has multiple offenses. It removes the possibility of jail time for possession of small amounts. 

Currently, Louisiana law states that offenders who possess 14 grams or less of marijuana could face a fine of up to $300, 15 days in jail, or both for their first conviction. If the offender gets convicted a second time, they could face a harsher penalty such as six months in jail, and two years for the third conviction. 

“We don’t need to be filling up our jails with misdemeanor offenses of marijuana,” Rep. Denise Marcelle said, according to The Advocate.

The bill will now head to the Senate floor for further debate. 

You can find more information on the bill, including a full list of how each representative voted, here

News

Desktop News

Click to open Continuous News in a sidebar that updates in real-time.
Radar
7 Days