Cannabis in Louisiana

Louisiana does not allow adult-use cannabis. What it has is a medical program that works differently from most states: there is no state registry and no patient card. A Louisiana-licensed clinician recommends cannabis and sends the recommendation to the retailer the patient chooses, and the patient collects the product there. Since January 1, 2025 the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) Cannabis Program licenses these retail sites, which used to be called "pharmacies" and sat under the Board of Pharmacy.

Patients may buy up to 2.5 ounces of flower per 14 days or a 30-day supply of other approved products, according to state-law summaries. Home growing is prohibited. Third-party counts put enrollment above 53,000 patients and the number of retailers at about two dozen. Practitioners eligible to recommend include physicians, advanced practice registered nurses with prescriptive authority and medical psychologists; a final rule published in the Louisiana Register on March 20, 2026 updated their controlled-substance licensing under Act 444 of 2022.

For everyone else, the criminal code applies, with a softer edge for small amounts. Under R.S. 40:966, possessing 14 grams or less brings a fine of up to $100 on any conviction, handled by summons rather than arrest, since August 2021. More than 14 grams is a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $500 or up to six months in parish jail on a first conviction, rising to $1,000 on a second and up to two years and $2,500 on a third.

Lawmakers looked at legalization again in 2026: Representative Candace Newell filed HB 373 on February 25, 2026, proposing an adult-use pilot from July 1, 2027 to 2030 limited to existing medical licensees. It was referred to the House Health and Welfare Committee and bill trackers list it as dead. Louisiana also regulates hemp-derived THC separately; Act 752 of 2024 limits those products from January 1, 2025. This page is general information, not legal advice.