House Bill 988 was handed by means of the Louisiana Home Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations on Might 19. If the invoice turns into legislation, it could create protections for state staff who search to make use of medical hashish. Whereas it could forestall staff from being fired, and stop discrimination in opposition to those that search to use, it doesn’t apply to public security staff reminiscent of firefighters or legislation enforcement.
The invoice’s sponsor, Rep. Mandie Landry, strongly believes that her invoice is a more healthy alternative for Louisianians. “There are lots of people who don’t wish to take opioids for his or her long-term PTSD and ache administration due to the excessive chance of habit to opioids,” Landry mentioned, based on the Louisiana Illuminator. “This has proved to be a greater choice than them.”
The Louisiana Board of Pharmacy estimated that there are 43,000 medical hashish shoppers within the state, and at present solely nine pharmacies to serve them.
On the committee assembly, Louisiana Division of Administration Communications Director Jacques Berry famous that his personal division already has rules in place to forestall discrimination for medical hashish consumption. In help, he shared his ideas on unifying rules throughout the board with an instance a few office harassment invoice that’s working equally. “Each company had a sexual harassment coverage, however they had been in all places, and Dr. [and Rep. Barbara] Carpenter needed stricter, extra constant requirements,” Berry mentioned. “She wrote an excellent legislation, and it’s working very nicely.”
Equally, Rep. Ed Larvadain spoke about wanting forward. “We’re going to have to vary how we cope with medical marijuana. However this can be a first step.” He additionally requested that he be invited to work with Landry about discovering an answer that may shield firefighters and legislation enforcement officers as nicely. “Lots of these women and men have continual pains as a result of through the years they’ve needed to climb by means of home windows and cops have been abused,” Larvadain mentioned.
Many advocates who spoke publicly in help of the invoice on the assembly. Tony Landry, a council member of the Veterans Action Council, commented that neither legislation enforcement or firefighters are allowed to eat CBD, since “it may well accumulate in your physique over time and trigger a optimistic check. I’m in favor of this invoice, and I simply suppose we have to depart no worker behind.”
Final summer time, Louisiana decriminalized hashish with Act 247, which imposed a wonderful of $100 (or a courtroom summons) for possession of 14 grams or much less. On the time, Peter Robins-Brown, coverage & advocacy director at Louisiana Progress offered a statement about the news. “Marijuana decriminalization will really make a distinction within the lives of the folks of our state,” Robins-Brown mentioned. “It’s an essential first step in modernizing marijuana coverage in Louisiana, and it’s one other milestone within the ongoing effort to deal with our incarceration disaster, which has trapped so many individuals in a cycle of poverty and jail. Now it’s time to be sure that everybody is aware of their rights beneath this new legislation, and that legislation enforcement officers perceive correctly implement it.”
Nevertheless, earlier this 12 months House Bill 700 was launched to imprison minors who possessed small quantities of hashish. On March 23, the Louisiana Progress Tweeted a response to the invoice’s method in preserving minors away from hashish. “In #lalege Admin. of Crim. Justice, the cmte is listening to HB700 by @LarryBagleyLA, which might really criminalize juveniles for possessing lower than 14 grams of marijuana extra harshly than adults, incl. potential jail time. Very very very very very very very dangerous thought. #lagov”. At the moment, it’s nonetheless ready for dialogue within the Home.