Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal to sign Medical Marijuana Bill

Posted by Sagar Satapathy on May 29, 2015.

Gov. Bobby Jindal sought to assure the people of Louisiana that he would sign legislation that would change the marijuana laws in the state and soften penalties for pot offenders. The bill proposed by Sen. Fred Mills, a Republican, would allow marijuana use by people suffering from cancer, glaucoma and a severe form of cerebral palsy. However, there will be a limited number of heavily-regulated distributors.

The Senate has already approved the legislation. The House health committee backed the measure this week. It awaits debate in the full House. Bobby Jindal said on Thursday that the proposal made by Mills meets his criteria that the marijuana distribution must be supervised for a

Jindal said Thursday that Mills’ proposal meets his criteria that the marijuana distribution be supervised and for a “legitimate medical purpose.” The Republican governor said: “We’ve got no concerns with it. If it got to our desk, we’d sign it.”

Currently, three bills related to marijuana, are moving through the state legislature. Two bills - (SB 241) and (HB 149) seek to reduce to the tough sentence for repetitive marijuana offenses. They will also reduce a second marijuana offense from felony to misdemeanor and allow first-time convicts to get erased from the record book after two years.

The above two bills also distinguish between possession of smaller and larger amounts of marijuana, which was not the case earlier. There could be simple possession charge for smaller amounts of marijuana now. Both bills are identical in nature. The third bill sets up guidelines for patients who need medical marijuana treatment. Although marijuana has been legal in Louisiana since 1971, there was no written rules related to growing, prescribing or dispensing.

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