Louisiana Cannabis Laws 2026: The Modern Era
2026 (Current Status)
2026 (Current Status): Louisiana remains a medical-only state. Recreational cannabis is illegal, though possession of small amounts has been decriminalized.
Decriminalization and Program Expansion (2015–2021)
Louisiana modernized its therapeutic marijuana framework over several legislative sessions.
2015
2015: Senate Bill 143 updates the state's therapeutic marijuana law and directs the creation of a functioning medical marijuana program.
2016
2016: Act 96 further expands the list of qualifying conditions and clarifies the regulatory structure for growing and dispensing.
2019
2019: The first licensed pharmacies begin dispensing medical marijuana products to registered patients.
2021
2021: House Bill 652 decriminalizes possession of 14 grams or less of marijuana for a first offense, replacing jail time with a civil fine.
Early Therapeutic Marijuana Law (1978–2014)
Louisiana passed one of the earliest therapeutic marijuana laws in the country, though it remained largely symbolic for decades.
For more than three decades after 1978, the law remains dormant, with no licensed cultivation or dispensing infrastructure in place.
1978
1978: Louisiana enacts an early therapeutic marijuana law recognizing potential medical use, but the law is never implemented with a working regulatory system.