Louisiana Governor Signs Law That Could Jail People for Smoking Weed Near Schools

BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has signed legislation that dramatically stiffens criminal penalties for cannabis use near schools and universities, effectively undoing years of decriminalization progress in the state and landing the measure among the harshest marijuana enforcement laws currently on the books in the country.

HB 568, signed by Landry and set to take effect August 1st, makes it a felony offense to smoke, vape, or “otherwise abuse” cannabis on any school property or within 2,000 feet of one — a zone broad enough to sweep in tailgate parking lots, student apartment complexes, and wide swaths of urban campuses. The penalty: up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine, with violators likely ineligible for probation or parole.

The governor didn’t hide his motivation. In a post on X following the signing, Landry said he was “tired … of being inundated with the smell of marijuana” at college sporting events. “We are bringing back the greatness of these family-friendly environments,” he wrote.

A Sharp Reversal

The new law represents a striking rollback from where Louisiana stood just five years ago. In 2021, then-Gov. John Bel Edwards — a Democrat — signed a decriminalization measure that eliminated the threat of jail time for low-level cannabis possession, up to 14 grams. That reform was celebrated by advocates as a hard-won step toward ending the state’s historically punishing approach to marijuana.

HB 568 dismantles that progress for anyone caught anywhere near an educational institution. The bill was authored by Rep. Gabe Firment (R) and cleared the Legislature with a 59-34 House vote and a 23-10 Senate vote — both along largely partisan lines.

Firment framed the legislation as a practical enforcement tool. “The bill establishes a clear and consistent penalty,” he told senators, “ensuring that violations in school zones result in real, enforceable consequences.”

Advocates Call It a Step Backward

Critics were blunt. Kevin Caldwell, Southeast legislative manager for the Marijuana Policy Project, said the group was “disappointed to see this deeply flawed legislation become law.”

“His personal lobbying efforts forced many legislators to vote for a bill they know will have profound negative life altering consequences for potentially thousands of Louisianans,” Caldwell told Marijuana Moment. “His solution to every perceived problem has been a return to incarceration.”

Caldwell added: “No child in Louisiana will be any safer after this legislation goes into effect. But historical data clearly shows who will bear the brunt of this policy.”

That last point touches on a long-documented reality: drug-free school zone laws, when drawn as broadly as Louisiana’s, disproportionately impact Black residents and low-income communities in dense urban areas where the 2,000-foot radius covers nearly every block.

Out of Step With Voters

The move comes despite widespread public support for reform in Louisiana. Statewide polling from the University of New Orleans has found most Louisianans support legalizing cannabis for adults — a sentiment legislators in both chambers have largely ignored under Landry’s tenure.

Adding to the mixed signals: a separate Louisiana Senate bill (SB 270) that would allow terminally ill patients to access non-smoked medical cannabis in hospital settings is currently awaiting the governor’s signature. Landry has not yet acted on it. Meanwhile, a handful of lawmakers have separately filed bills that would study full legalization or create a pilot adult-use program — a sharp ideological contrast to what Landry has just signed.

What Comes Next

The law takes effect August 1st. Enforcement will be left to local and state law enforcement, who will now have explicit statutory authority to make felony arrests for cannabis use in school zones — with no need to prove possession or intent, only observable consumption.

Advocacy groups including NORML and MPP have signaled they will continue fighting the measure, though no immediate legal challenge has been announced.

The signing lands in the middle of a turbulent national moment for cannabis policy. Separate litigation from Republican-led states seeking to block federal rescheduling of marijuana is already before the courts. Louisiana’s rollback adds another data point to an increasingly clear picture: even as legalization spreads, some state governments are moving in the opposite direction — and doing so with intention.

Sources: NORML, Marijuana Moment, NOLA.com, LegiScan