The 56th Governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards, has signed a bill decriminalizing marijuana, but says it’s not decriminalization.
Edwards, a Democrat, has signed into law a bill that takes away the possibility of jail time for possession of small amounts of marijuana.
The governor signed House Bill 652 by Rep. Cedric Glover, D-Shreveport. He has now signed 212 bills into law, so far, from the legislative session that ended June 10.
Twenty-seven states have passed similar decriminalization laws, which take away jail time as a penalty for small amounts of pot. The fines and amounts of marijuana those laws apply to vary by state.
Edwards had disputed that the legislation amounts to “decriminalizing” marijuana, since violators can still be hit with penalties. “Instead, anyone convicted of this crime will now be subject to a maximum penalty of $100 instead of being exposed to parish prison time,” he said in a statement.
“This is not a decision I took lightly. In addition to carefully reviewing the bill, I also believe deeply that the state of Louisiana should no longer incarcerate people for minor legal infractions, especially those that are legal in many states, that can ruin lives and destroy families, as well as cost taxpayers greatly,” Edwards added.
“This measure passed Louisiana’s Legislature with bipartisan support following a robust discussion of the toll of over incarceration on our people and our state. Taking this action is another step forward for Louisiana’s criminal justice reform efforts.”