LA House Approves No Jail Time for Small Amount of Weed

The bill was proposed by former Shreveport mayor, Cedric Glover.

Personally, I can't find a reason anyone should be able to disagree with this bill. The bottom-line, to me anyways, is that we shouldn't be sending anyone to jail for any amount of time for being in possession of a small amount of marijuana. By "small", we're talking about 14 grams of weed or less. Prior to this bill, those who were caught with 14 grams or less, they could potentially see jail time for up to 15 days. If it happens a second time, they could go to prison for up to six months.

The jailtime and ramifications for getting busted with that little amount of marijuana has always been mind-blowing to me, but laws are the laws. Now, thanks to former Shreveport mayor Cedric Glover, the punishment finally fits the crime.

Now, the maximum penalty if caught with 14 grams of weed or less would be a $100 fine. I believe that's a win-win for all involved, included law enforcement. Shreveport Representative Alan Seabaugh, one of our state's most conservative House members, voted in support of the bill. He says, "What we’re essentially doing is giving the officer who is in the process of apprehending the person the authority to write them a ticket so he doesn’t have to actually incarcerate them."

Former mayor Cedric Glover says, "One, it should not result in a path that leads you to become a convicted felon and neither should it set you on a path to go to prison."

Now, the legislation will head to the Louisiana Senate for further discussion.