Minors in the state of Louisiana are being threatened with harsh penalties for committing low-level cannabis possession offenses. Under a newly proposed Louisiana bill, minors would be imprisoned if caught carrying small amounts of cannabis. 

Louisiana legislators may decide to reinstate the possibility of jail-time for possession of up-to 14 grams of cannabis. This bill would only focus on children and adolescents under the age of 18. Adults who are arrested with marijuana, even if it is their second or third violation, would still be eligible to escape jail time. This makes absolutely no logic and may undoubtedly result in a significant amount of generational pain in the future.

Louisiana House Representative, Larry Bagley, is attempting to amend the state’s marijuana decriminalization statute, which was approved just last year.

The new law, which went into effect last year, prohibits anybody guilty of carrying 14 grams or less of marijuana in Louisiana from being fined more than $100 and prohibits them from being placed in custody. 

Bagley is seeking support to send kids to jail for low-level cannabis possession offenses. Children and teens would be subjected to harsher sanctions under House Bill 700, compared to adults, which include imprisonment.

Under Bagley’s outrageous proposed legislation, anyone under the age of 18 who is found with up-to 14 grams would be placed on probation or imprisoned for a maximum of 15 days. And if that 15 days isn’t enough to scare your kid straight, then Bagley is ready to lay down the law. 

Furthermore, adolescents who are convicted again would face even harsher punishments! If a minor is convicted of a low-level cannabis crime in Louisiana a second time, the adolescent would be sent to probation or imprisoned for a maximum 6 months. If convicted of possession a third time a minor may face up-to two years in prison. A fourth conviction could place an adolescent behind bars for 4 years in prison.