Is It Time to Legalize Recreational Marijuana in Louisiana?

Louisiana lawmakers are being asked to make marijuana legal in Louisiana. The bill would decriminalizes the possession and distribution of marijuana. This bill would also put in place a statutory regulatory system and put a sales tax in place for the sale of marijuana.

State Representative Candace Newell of New Orleans is proposing this legislation.

Here’s What Is in the Bill:

Present law provides for the regulation of controlled dangerous substances, and prohibits the possession, distribution, dispensing, or possession with intent to distribute or dispense marijuana. Proposed law removes those criminal penalties contingent upon the legislature providing for a statutory regulatory system for the legal sale and distribution of marijuana and establishing a sales tax on those sales.

It would still be illegal to operate a motor vehicle under the influence. The bill would also let employers keep measures in place to prohibit workers from using marijuana. The bill says this measure “shall not prohibit any employer from enforcing or adopting reasonable zero tolerance policies or drug free workplace policies, and shall not be construed to prohibit any school policy, pursuant to present law from being enforced or adopted relative to drug free zones.”

This bill will first be considered by the House Committee on Criminal Justice.

Representative Newell has also proposed a companion bill that would “provide for the regulation of the cultivation, manufacture, and retail sale of cannabis and cannabis products.”

This measure would also authorize the Department of Agriculture to create and issue up to 10 cannabis production facility licenses.