According to a survey of voters in several Republican-held Louisiana House districts, they too support marijuana legislation.
The survey shows that Louisianans who had voted for former President Trump in 2020, are not opposed to making the plant legal in the state.
The survey was conducted by JMC Analytics and Polling and found that in all nine districts, responders to the survey supported legalization.
More than three-quarters of people responding to the survey in Louisiana House Districts 52, 53, 70, 78, 84, and 94 were for legalization while only less than 8 percent were opposed.
Louisiana House Districts 28 and 47 survey responders were more than 64 percent in favor of legalization, and only less than 7 percent opposed.
More than half of responders in each district had said they were more likely to vote for a political candidate who wanted to reform marijuana laws.
Rep. Candace N. Newell – D represents Louisiana House District 99 and remarked, “The belief is that it would cause a rise in crime and traffic fatalities, but legalizing marijuana doesn’t legalize driving while impaired. It would still be illegal to drive under the influence of alcohol or marijuana.”
Newell has introduced two marijuana-related bills during the 2021 legislative session.
House Bill 243 is one of them and would decriminalize the possession and distribution of marijuana in Louisiana under specific rules and taxes.
“Decriminalization is not the same as legalization,” Newell said. “It would simply stop people from being arrested for small amounts of marijuana.”
Louisiana House Bill 709 is the other legislation for the regulation of recreational marijuana.
“It would allow people who have had non-violent simple marijuana possession charges in the past to be eligible to apply for a license to grow, manufacture or sell marijuana products,” Newell explained. “It also gives a preference to people living in low-income areas that have been impacted by higher arrest rates.”
“There are too many African American and Hispanic Americans who have been negatively impacted by disproportional arrest rates,” Newell said. “Black and brown people are arrested at a much than their white counterparts, and their jail times are much higher.”