A bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Louisiana was sidelined in the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee late last month, despite signs that a growing number of Louisianans support the idea.
Republican state Rep. Richard Nelson (R-Mandeville), who’s now running for governor, proposed a similar bill two years ago. And a 2021 poll showed that two-thirds of state residents favored ending the prohibition on recreational marijuana.
For the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, which supports ending all criminal penalties for the possession and responsible adult use of marijuana, the Louisiana Legislature’s actions were not surprising.
“There is no precedent for Republican-dominated legislatures to enact adult-use legalization via legislation,” Paul Armentano, NORML’s deputy director, told the Louisiana Record in an email. “In states with Republican-dominated legislatures, legalization has only occurred as a result of a voter-approved initiative. … Among the states that have legalized legislatively, these actions have strictly taken place in Democrat-dominated legislatures, and most often they have been enacted with little or no Republican votes.”
In contrast to the partisanship exhibited by state lawmakers, voters tend to support legalization regardless of what political party they belong to, Armentano said.
The Louisiana bill to decriminalize the possession and distribution of recreational marijuana, HB 24, was authored by Rep. Candace Newell (D-New Orleans). It would have legalized recreational marijuana once lawmakers enact a regulatory system and create a sales tax on cannabis products.
Administration of Criminal Justice Committee members voted 9-4 to “involuntarily defer” the measure on April 25, according to the Legislature’s bill tracker.
Under current Louisiana law, the possession, distribution and dispensing of recreational marijuana is prohibited, although the state does have a medical marijuana program for residents with certain medical conditions.
Supporters say legalization would free up law enforcement resources for more serious crimes and lead to the creation of more jobs tied to the distribution and growing of legal cannabis.