Weed Reforms In The South: Louisiana Senate Passes Expungement Bil Sending It To Gov. Edwards

The Louisiana Senate voted on Monday in favor of a marijuana expungement bill sending it to Governor John Bel Edwards (D) for his signature. The lawmakers approved the legislation on the floor in a 32-7 vote.

The news comes several weeks after the measure aiming to streamline expungements for first-time cannabis possession offenders cleared the Louisana House.

Under the bill, individuals caught with up to 14 grams of marijuana would be allowed to petition for clearing their records after 90 days, if it was their first offense. This would hugely accelerate the record clearing, considering that the current law requires a minimum of five years before submitting a petition for expungement, writes Marijuana Moment.

The legislation also sets a $300 cap on fees for record clearing and contains a template for a motion to expunge that people can use.

Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) commented on the news. “Louisiana has one the most complex and expensive expungement processes in the nation. This legislation offers tens of thousands of Louisianans the opportunity to clear their criminal record and continue their lives in a fruitful and productive manner,” Kevin Caldwell, a legislative manager at MPP told the outlet. “A single cannabis possession charge should not limit so many people for housing, employment, professional licenses, and educational loan opportunities. Louisiana is proud to, once again, be at the forefront of legislative cannabis policy reform in the South.”

Recent Updates On Cannabis In Louisiana

As per a recent poll by Louisiana State University (LSU), as much as 70% of state residents support legalizing recreational cannabis possession for adults. This represents a significant increase, compared to 42% who backed the idea 10 years ago. What’s more, 90% of respondents favor medical marijuana.

At the end of April, a Louisiana House bill that would decriminalize marijuana in the Pelican State died in the House Criminal Justice Committee before ever advancing to the House floor. The measure was sponsored by Democratic representative Candace Newell, who maintained that marijuana distribution could bolster the state economy. The proposed law would have removed marijuana, THC and chemical derivatives of THC as Schedule I substances under the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law. But when the committee decided to involuntarily defer the measure in a 9-4 vote, and none of the GOP lawmakers explained their stance on the issue, Newell deemed it “disrespectful."

Louisiana legalized medical marijuana in 2015. The first dispensing in the state happened in 2019. In 2020, the program was expanded, allowing medical marijuana use with a doctor’s written recommendation for any debilitating condition. 

In 2021, gov. Edwards signed a bill decriminalizing possession of small amounts (less than 14 grams) of cannabis statewide. 

Photo: Benzinga edit with images by Indorgro on Unsplash, and Wikimedia Commons