RELEASE: Louisiana Progress Helps Move State Toward Marijuana Decriminalization
Louisiana House of Representatives votes 67-25 to pass House Bill 652 by Rep. Cedric Glover, which decriminalizes possession of 14 grams (half-ounce) or less of marijuana. Rep. Glover and Louisiana Progress have been working closely together to advocate for this common-sense reform.
BATON ROUGE, LA | May 11, 2021—In the months leading up to the 2021 Louisiana legislative session, Louisiana Progress identified three issues that we wanted to build our agenda around: Clean elections, clean water, and clean cannabis. On Tuesday evening, we began to see our efforts pay off when House Bill 652, by Rep. Cedric Glover, passed the House by a vote of 67-25.
If passed by the full legislature, House Bill 652 would make possession of fewer than 14 grams (half-ounce) of marijuana punishable by a summons or a fine of up to $100. There would be no option for jail time, and penalties would not increase to felony-level with subsequent arrests.
“Marijuana is safer than alcohol, yet we criminalize it as if it’s much worse,” Peter Robins-Brown, Policy & Advocacy Director at Louisiana Progress, told the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee during testimony on the bill last week. “It’s a waste of law enforcement resources... and it undermines our entire criminal justice system because it’s such an unpopular law, and so many people blatantly flout it.”
Fortunately, the Louisiana House of Representatives seemed to understand those points, which the body proved by overwhelmingly passing Rep. Glover’s bill. Glover delivered an eloquent and impassioned presentation and was joined at the mic by two of his colleagues who rarely agree--Rep. Denise Marcelle and Rep. Alan Seabaugh. Marcelle, a liberal Democrat, and Seabaugh, a staunch conservative, came together on this issue, and that bipartisan agreement carried over to the full House.
Now it’s on to the Senate, where we will find out if the legislature is, in fact, ready to respond to its constituents’ overwhelming support for reforming the state’s marijuana laws.
We will also continue to advocate for clean elections and clean water by supporting House Bill 653, by Rep. Barry Ivey, which would help Louisiana build the most secure, state-of-the-art election system in the country, House Bill 481, by Rep. Matthew Willard, which would improve drinking water testing and assessment procedures, and Senate Bill 129, by Sen. Fred Mills, which would create the Community Drinking Water Infrastructure Sustainability Act.
Louisiana Progress is a resource for research, policy, and advocacy. Visit our website to learn more and to sign up for our MONDAY MATTERS email, where every Monday we provide a review of the past week at the legislature and a preview of the week to come.
Who: Louisiana Progress, Rep. Cedric Glover
What: Louisiana House of Representatives votes to decriminalize marijuana possession
When: May 11, 2021
Contact:
Peter Robins-Brown, Policy & Advocacy Director, Louisiana Progress, (504) 256-8196, peter@louisianaprogress.org