Marijuana Legalization Archives - Elizabeth B. Carpenter Attorney At Law

Louisiana 2016 Legislative Session: Bills to Watch

2016 Legislative session to address gun, marijuana, job laws The regular session of the Louisiana Legislature got underway March 14 and continues through June 6. While the big question concerns how lawmakers plan to balance the state’s gaping billion-dollar-plus budget hole, a variety of bills concerning guns and drugs are being monitored by criminal-defense lawyers and other legal observers. FIREARMS Near two-dozen bills on the table involve handguns and concealed-carry rights. For example, Rep. Barry Ivey, a Republican from Baton Rouge, filed a bill to amend the Louisiana Constitution to allow anyone 21 or older to carry a [...]

By Elizabeth B. Carpenter|2016-03-31T15:43:59+00:00March 31st, 2016|Categories: Legislative News|Tags: Firearms, Louisiana Legislature, Marijuana Legalization|

New Orleans City Council reduces penalties for pot possession

Penalties for Marijuana Possession Reduced in New Orleans About a month ago, I wrote about the possibility of the New Orleans City Counsel reducing the penalties for possession of Marijuana in the city limits. The Counsel voted unanimously on March 17 to allow police more leeway in issuing citations for simple marijuana possession. The 7-0 decision marks a policy change by city leaders that’s aimed at reducing the number of arrests for minor drug crimes, the Times-Picayune newspaper reported. A city ordinance already gave New Orleans police the authority to write a ticket for first-offense possession. The ordinance that [...]

By Elizabeth B. Carpenter|2016-03-26T18:41:59+00:00March 26th, 2016|Categories: Drug Crimes, Marijuana Legalization, Municipal Offenses, Penalties|Tags: DRUG POSSESSION, Marijuana, Marijuana Legalization|

LACDL Adopts Marijuana Policy Statement

I am happy to report that the Louisiana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ (LACDL) voted last week to adopt an official policy statement related to the possession and use of marijuana. The 2014 legislative session has a number of marijuana-related bills up for debate. The LACDL Marijuana Policy Statement is as follows: We believe that marijuana prohibition financially burdens taxpayers, encroaches upon civil liberties, engenders disrespect for the law, and disproportionately impacts students, lower income classes, African Americans, and other ethnic minorities who bear the brunt of cannabis arrests and prosecutions. The responsible consumption of marijuana by adults [...]

By Elizabeth B. Carpenter|2014-03-17T08:36:03+00:00March 17th, 2014|Categories: Drug Crimes, Legislative News, Marijuana Legalization|Tags: Drug Crimes Attorney New Orleans, Marijuana Legalization|