Stewart Cathey, a Louisiana State Senator and Jay Morris, a Louisiana Sen. both stated that the legalization of hemp products containing THC in Louisiana was not intended. Cathey stated at the meeting that “Last Session we unknowingly created an recreational THC Market in Louisiana,” according to Daily Advertiser . The Legislature did not intend to create a flood of psychoactive THC products in the state.
Cathey presented Senate Bill No. 219 in April, and it was only at the last meeting on April 18, that the bill had its first discussion. SB-219 would change the state law to allow up to 8mg of THC per hemp product. It proposes instead a maximum 2 mg of THC. Morris said that if we were to legalize recreational THC, it would have to be done in an open and honest manner. This was not done. Morris explained that the bill had been sold as though we didn’t allow psychoactive substances. The committee approved the bill to be heard before the Senate on April 18.
Advocates and business owners have spoken out against the negative effects of amending state law. Senators like Cathey and Morris work to change the current legislation.
Jason Garsee, who is the owner of Str8W8 Cannabis as well as the President of the Gulf South Hemp Association has publicly stated that changes in the current laws will hurt their business. Garsee stated that “This bill will absolutely destroy this industry”. This bill that you are carrying now will put people out of work in your district, town and state. My investment and business would be decimated.
Lafayette, the president of Black Farmers Hemp also expressed similar concerns. Lafayette stated that the bill “does not make sense.” Casey White, of Pippi’s Purpose stated that the storefronts were opened with their savings. Virgin Hemp Farms’ owner Blaine Jennings described the bill in the same way.
Clay Schexnayder, Louisiana House Speaker Clay Schexnayder recently introduced another bill to amend the current hemp laws ( House 605), but it was not as extensive as Cathey’s. Schexnayder introduced four bills related to hemp since federal legalization in 2018.
Schexnayder criticized the Louisiana Health Department in March for the mishandling of hemp legislation. Schexnayder said, “It was very clear what we were looking for as a Legislature.”
The Louisiana Legislative Auditor published the audit of Louisiana Department of Health on April 10. The report, entitled “Oversight for Consumable Hemp Products,” found that 36 out of 2,564 consumable products registered by DOH are “prohibited”. Additionally, 198 edibles exceeded the state’s 8mg THC threshold.
Medical Cannabis Industry in Louisiana has been successful, but Recreational cannabis currently isn’t legal. Cannabis flower sales started in Jan 2022.
In January 2022 Gary Chambers, a Louisiana Senate candidate spoke in an online video about how the War on Drugs has failed and affected people of colour. He smoked a blunt while speaking. Every 37 seconds someone is arrested on marijuana charges. In his video , Chambers stated that state and local law enforcement have arrested an estimate 7.3 millions Americans since 2010 for breaking marijuana laws. This is more than half of the drug arrests. Black people are more than four times as likely to get arrested under marijuana laws as white people. States spend $3.7 billion annually enforcing cannabis laws. “Most of those arrested by the police don’t have large amounts of marijuana, they just possess small amounts, like myself.”
Louisiana legislators say they unknowingly legalized hemp products with THC first appeared on High Times.
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