Louisiana Officially Decriminalizes Cannabis Possession

[Katashi_itto]

(I DIDNT WRITE THE HEADLINE PEOPLE)


When Governor Bobby Jindal signs HB 149 into law sometime this week (perhaps today), Louisiana will officially become America’s 19th state with decriminalized marijuana possession.

Just two weeks after the state’s Senate gave the bill its overwhelming blessing, Louisiana’s House too agreed that weed and those that inhale the stuff should be unchained, voting 74-19 in favor of the new legislation.

And here’s exactly what the bill will do:

The bill proposes the following changes:

• It carves out a new penalty section for possession of less than 14 grams of marijuana, making it punishable by maximum sentence of 15 days in jail and a $300 fine.

• It does not change penalties for first-offense possession of marijuana involving amounts between 14 grams and 2.5 pounds, keeping the penalty for the misdemeanor charge at six months in jail and a $500 fine for a first offense.

• Second offenses are a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail.

• Third offenses are a felony punishable by up to a $2,500 fine and two years in prison.

• Fourth and subsequent offenses are a felony punishable by up to a $5,000 fine and eight years in prison.

• The proposal also allows offenders one chance to apply to have their record expunged if they aren’t convicted of a marijuana violation within two years of the first offense. [NOLA.com]

http://www.thesmokersclub.com/news/louisiana-officially-decriminalizes-cannabis-possession/

[bravenak]

1. It's a start. Barely. But it's something.

[Katashi_itto]

2. Agree. The headline is way off thats for sure.

[Egnever]

3. Not realy

Horrible headline. Totally misleading.

[Katashi_itto]

6. Agree!

[Jesus Malverde]

4. In California the law changed like this..

We have the medical exemption, which recreational smokers, easily got. Cops continued to arrest people. People would fight the charges in court and often win by jury trial. Jury nullification and or medical defense. So governor Schwarzenegger changed it to a simple citation which carried a fine but did not allow you to argue it in front of a jury. That way law enforcement could continue to harass smokers and generate revenue for the state. Legalization nationwide is inevitable. They're just tinkering at the margins, zero tolerance policies are a complete failure, it's a case of the public leading the politicians. The fact that legalizations biggest problem in Colorado is what to do with all that tax revenue shows all the way to go.

[Logical]

5. Decriminalize does not mean that! It means a traffic type ticket for simple possession. nt

[WDIM]

7. Yeah it sounds like they still make you a criminal

Just for having a plant in your pocket.

15 days in jail a person would lose their job. Their children would go to the state if family couldnt take them. They are still wrecking these peoples lives just for peacefully enjoying a plant. Its pure madness.