Is marijuana legal in Louisiana?
Only for medical use. As of 2026, Louisiana allows medical marijuana for patients with a clinician's recommendation, and recreational weed is illegal. Possessing 14 grams or less is punished by a fine of up to $100.
Status checked November 4, 2026
Contents
Marijuana laws in Louisiana
Louisiana allows marijuana only for medical use. Under R.S. 40:1046, a physician, a nurse practitioner with prescriptive authority or a medical psychologist can recommend medical marijuana to a patient with a debilitating medical condition. The list includes cancer, PTSD, intractable pain, epilepsy and other named conditions, and any other condition the clinician considers debilitating. The state does not issue a patient ID card. Recreational marijuana is illegal at any age.
Patients buy only in person from Louisiana’s licensed medical marijuana retailers, which are regulated by the Louisiana Department of Health. A retailer may not sell a patient more than 2.5 ounces (71 grams) of raw or crude marijuana every 14 days, and may not sell flower to anyone under 21 unless the clinician specifically recommended that form. Patients with a valid medical card from another state can also buy as visiting qualifying patients. Home growing is not allowed.
Outside the medical program, possessing 14 grams or less is punished by a fine of up to $100, enforced by summons rather than arrest. Possessing more than 14 grams is a crime that can mean jail, with penalties rising for repeat convictions.
Consumable hemp products are legal but tightly limited: no more than 5 mg of total THC per serving and 40 mg per package for most products, and no hemp flower or inhalable hemp products in retail stores. Marijuana remains illegal under federal law, apart from state-licensed medical marijuana, which moved to Schedule III in April 2026.
What the law says
Legal
- Any authorized clinician may recommend medical marijuana to any patient suffering from a debilitating medical condition with whom he shares a bona fide clinician-patient relationship.
- Marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinols, or a chemical derivative of tetrahydrocannabinols recommended pursuant to this Section shall be sold in person by a marijuana retail permit holder located in Louisiana.
- A visiting qualifying patient may obtain medical marijuana from a marijuana retail permit holder upon producing evidence of his valid medical marijuana registry identification card, or its equivalent, which has been issued under the medical marijuana laws of another state, district, territory, commonwealth, or insular possession of the United States.
Not legal
- No retailer permitted to sell marijuana for therapeutic use in accordance with the provisions of this Section shall sell more than two and one-half ounces, or seventy-one grams, of raw or crude marijuana every fourteen days to any individual patient.
- On a first conviction or any subsequent conviction, wherein the offender possesses fourteen grams or less, the offender shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars.
- On a first conviction, wherein the offender possesses more than fourteen grams, the offender shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars, imprisoned in the parish jail for not more than six months, or both.
Quoted from Louisiana R.S. 40:1046.
How old do you have to be to use marijuana in Louisiana?
There's no legal age to buy recreational weed in Louisiana, because recreational marijuana is illegal at any age. Medical marijuana is available to patients of any age with a recommendation from an authorized clinician. Retailers may not sell raw or crude marijuana (flower) to anyone under 21 unless the clinician specifically recommended it in that form. Consumable hemp products have their own age limit of 21.
How much marijuana can you have in Louisiana?
Only medical patients can legally have marijuana in Louisiana, and only what they bought from a licensed Louisiana retailer under a recommendation. A retailer can sell a patient no more than 2.5 ounces (71 grams) of flower every 14 days. State law doesn't set separate car or home limits for patients. For everyone else, possessing 14 grams or less is punished by a fine of up to $100, and more than 14 grams is a crime that can carry jail time.
Where can you buy marijuana in Louisiana?
You can buy weed in Louisiana only at licensed medical marijuana retailers, and only with a recommendation from an authorized Louisiana clinician or, for visitors, a valid medical card from another state. Sales must be made in person in Louisiana, and the Louisiana Department of Health regulates the retailers. Each retailer must offer delivery to patients in its region at least once a month. There are no recreational dispensaries.
Can you grow marijuana at home in Louisiana?
No, you can't grow weed at home in Louisiana, even as a medical patient. The medical law allows marijuana to be grown only by the two state-licensed producers, and patients must buy from licensed retailers. Growing marijuana without a license is a crime under the state's controlled substances law.
Where can you use marijuana in Louisiana?
You can't legally smoke weed anywhere in Louisiana unless you are a medical patient, because recreational use is illegal. State law doesn't create any public places where patients may use marijuana. Since August 1, 2026, Act 602 requires healthcare facilities to let terminally ill patients with a current recommendation use medical marijuana there, with documentation and storage rules, and that act does not cover smoking or vaping.
How do you get a medical marijuana card in Louisiana?
You can't get a medical marijuana card in Louisiana, because the state doesn't issue one. Instead, you need a recommendation from an authorized clinician: a Louisiana-licensed physician, a nurse practitioner with prescriptive authority or a medical psychologist in good standing. You must have a debilitating medical condition, such as cancer, PTSD, epilepsy or intractable pain, or another condition the clinician considers debilitating. A recommendation can be made through telehealth, and you then buy from a licensed retailer.
Can visitors buy or use marijuana in Louisiana?
Yes, but only out-of-state visitors who are medical patients. Louisiana lets a visiting qualifying patient, who is not a resident or has lived in Louisiana less than 30 days, buy from a licensed retailer with a valid medical card from another state and a government photo ID. The patient must sign a state form certifying the diagnosis and promising not to share the marijuana. Recreational marijuana is illegal for everyone, including tourists.
What are the rules on driving and marijuana in Louisiana?
No, you can't drive high in Louisiana. The state's DWI law covers driving while under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance, and that includes marijuana, even for medical patients. Having a recommendation is not a defense to impaired driving. Louisiana law sets no THC blood limit for drivers.
Can an employer in Louisiana fire you for using marijuana?
Yes, you can get fired for using marijuana in Louisiana in most jobs. The medical marijuana law doesn't give patients general job protection, and employers and their workers' compensation insurers don't have to pay for medical marijuana. One exception covers state employees: a state employer can't penalize a patient based solely on a positive marijuana test, but can still act if the employee uses or is impaired at work, and the rule excludes police, firefighters, EMS and some other jobs.
What are the penalties for breaking marijuana laws in Louisiana?
In Louisiana, possessing 14 grams or less of marijuana is punished by a fine of up to $100, on any conviction, and is handled by summons instead of arrest. Possessing more than 14 grams is punished by up to $500 and six months in jail for a first conviction and up to $1,000 and six months for a second. A third conviction carries up to two years and $2,500, and a fourth up to eight years and $5,000. Selling and growing carry heavier felony penalties.
Are CBD, hemp and delta-8 products legal in Louisiana?
Yes, with tight limits. CBD and other consumable hemp products are legal in Louisiana if they are registered and approved by the Louisiana Department of Health. Most products may have no more than 5 mg of total THC per serving and 40 mg per package, and a hemp drink no more than 5 mg per 12-ounce serving. The state won't approve hemp flower for retail sale or any inhalable hemp product, including vapes, which covers smokable THCA flower. Delta-8 is allowed only within these limits. Separately, a stricter federal hemp definition, with a total-THC standard that counts THCA and a 0.4 mg-per-container cap, takes effect December 11, 2026.
Does federal law still apply in Louisiana?
Yes. Federal law still applies in Louisiana. Marijuana remains a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law, with one exception: since April 28, 2026, marijuana covered by a state medical marijuana license and FDA-approved marijuana products are in Schedule III. A broader federal rescheduling proceeding was stayed on September 29, 2026, and has no decision date. State law does not change federal rules on federal land, on carrying marijuana across state lines, or on federally required drug testing, such as for DOT-regulated jobs.
Has the law in Louisiana changed recently, or is it about to?
When will weed be legal in Louisiana? There's no date, because recreational legalization has not passed the Legislature, and Louisiana has no citizen initiative process to put it on the ballot. The most recent change is Act 602 of 2026, effective August 1, 2026, which requires healthcare facilities to allow terminally ill patients to use recommended medical marijuana. In 2025 the Legislature changed retailer fees. New federal hemp limits take effect November 12 and December 11, 2026.
Legislation
- Louisiana R.S. 40:1046, Recommendation and sale of marijuana for therapeutic use
- Louisiana R.S. 40:1046.1, Sale to visiting qualifying patients
- Louisiana R.S. 40:966 (possession penalties, as amended by Act 247 of 2021)
- Louisiana R.S. 3:1483, Consumable hemp product approval (Act 752 of 2024)
- Louisiana R.S. 49:1016, State employment and recommended marijuana
- Act 602 of 2026 (SB 270), terminally ill patients in healthcare facilities
Sources (10)
- Louisiana R.S. 40:1046, Recommendation and sale of marijuana for therapeutic use legis.la.gov
- Louisiana R.S. 40:1046.1, Sale to visiting qualifying patients legis.la.gov
- Louisiana R.S. 40:966 (possession penalties, as amended by Act 247 of 2021) legis.la.gov
- Louisiana R.S. 3:1483, Consumable hemp product approval (Act 752 of 2024) legis.la.gov
- Louisiana R.S. 49:1016, State employment and recommended marijuana legis.la.gov
- Act 602 of 2026 (SB 270), terminally ill patients in healthcare facilities legis.la.gov
- ldh.la.gov
- dea.gov
- federalregister.gov
- congress.gov
General information, not legal advice. Laws change often, so check with the state's cannabis agency before relying on this.
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