Louisiana was almost a step closer to paving the way for marijuana legalization, but a razor-thin 8-7 vote in the state house has killed the bill. Marijuana is legal for medical uses in Louisiana and has been for years, but this vote has left Louisiana behind other states that have taken the step further to legalize cannabis for recreational use.

Is it likely the Bayou State will legalize recreational marijuana?

A bill was proposed in Louisiana that would not have made marijuana legal in the state, but it would have created the backbone for the state to tax marijuana sales if the substance is ever decriminalized. Louisiana's House Committee on Ways and Means was one vote away from passing the legislation to the next step.

Rep. Edmond Jordan from Brusly, Louisiana, wrote the bill and explained at a House hearing that his goal was with the bill was not to legalize marijuana: "The purpose of this bill is simply to say that if, in the event that it [marijuana] is legalized, that we have a taxing mechanism in place."

Even though the state's medical marijuana program is growing, it doesn't seem likely that there'll be bongs in the bayou anytime soon. The legally distinct cousin to THC (the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana) is Delta-8, and Louisiana has not been all too kind to substances like it.

At the start of 2025, Louisiana had new lawsoptop put into effect that added even more regulations to consumer hemp products like Delta-8. Serving sizes for consumable THC products made with consumer-grade hemp were drastically cut, and an outright ban was placed on any inhalable hemp products like Delta-8 flower.

With new laws in Louisiana having been enacted recently to crack down on consumer hemp products, and with a medical marijuana system growing, it's not likely that Louisiana will be letting anyone get the green unless they get a doctor's note first.