Recreational marijuana remains illegal in Louisiana, but the state has a comprehensive medical marijuana program that allows qualifying patients to purchase flower and other marijuana products from licensed dispensaries.
Louisiana has also significantly reduced the penalty for possessing small amounts of recreational marijuana. Possession of 14 grams or less is punishable by a fine of no more than $100, regardless of whether it is a first or subsequent possession conviction, and the law requires a summons rather than a custodial arrest for that offense. Possession nevertheless remains illegal outside the state’s medical program.
Medical patients cannot grow marijuana at home, but Louisiana allows a broad range of medical conditions and even permits an authorized clinician to recommend marijuana for another condition the clinician considers debilitating and is qualified to treat.
This page covers Louisiana marijuana possession laws, penalties, medical marijuana, qualifying conditions, dispensaries, home cultivation and other major rules. For laws in other states, visit The Marijuana Herald’s Marijuana Laws by State guide.
Last updated: September 13, 2026
Louisiana Marijuana Laws at a Glance
| Law | Current Rule |
|---|---|
| Recreational marijuana | Illegal |
| Medical marijuana | Legal for qualifying patients |
| Recreational possession limit | None |
| Possession of 14 grams or less | Up to a $100 fine |
| Recreational sales | Illegal |
| Medical dispensaries | Legal |
| Medical marijuana flower | Legal |
| Medical home cultivation | Illegal |
| Recreational home cultivation | Illegal |
| Raw flower purchase limit | 2.5 ounces every 14 days |
| Medical marijuana delivery | Legal |
| Out-of-state medical patients | Limited reciprocity available |
| State sales tax on medical marijuana | Exempt |
Is Recreational Marijuana Legal in Louisiana?
No. Recreational marijuana is illegal in Louisiana.
Adults do not have a legal amount of marijuana they may possess simply because they are 21 or older. However, Louisiana has reduced the punishment for small amounts.
Under Louisiana Revised Statutes § 40:966, possession of 14 grams or less of marijuana is punishable by a fine of no more than $100 on a first or subsequent conviction. The offense is enforced through a summons rather than custodial arrest.
This reduced penalty should not be confused with legalization. Recreational marijuana possession, cultivation and retail sales remain prohibited.
How Much Marijuana Can You Legally Possess in Louisiana?
There is no legal recreational possession amount in Louisiana.
For people outside the medical marijuana program, possession of 14 grams or less can result in a fine of up to $100. Possessing more than 14 grams carries greater penalties, particularly for repeat offenses.
Registered medical marijuana patients with a valid recommendation are exempt from Louisiana’s ordinary marijuana possession penalties when possessing marijuana in forms allowed under the medical program.
Louisiana also limits the amount of raw marijuana flower a dispensary may sell to a patient to 2.5 ounces, or 71 grams, every 14 days.
What Are the Penalties for Illegal Marijuana Possession in Louisiana?
Louisiana’s marijuana possession penalties depend on the amount and the person’s prior convictions.
| Circumstance | Penalty |
|---|---|
| 14 grams or less, first or subsequent conviction | Fine of up to $100 |
| More than 14 grams, first conviction | Up to 6 months in parish jail and/or up to a $500 fine |
| More than 14 grams, second conviction | Up to 6 months in parish jail and/or up to a $1,000 fine |
| More than 14 grams, third conviction | Up to 2 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $2,500 |
| More than 14 grams, fourth or subsequent conviction | Up to 8 years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $5,000 |
For possession of 14 grams or less, Louisiana requires law enforcement to issue a summons rather than make a custodial arrest under the marijuana possession provision.
Louisiana law also provides that possession of 2.5 pounds or more of marijuana is treated under the statute governing production, distribution or possession with intent to distribute rather than ordinary possession.
Has Louisiana Decriminalized Marijuana?
Louisiana has substantially reduced penalties for possession of small amounts, but recreational marijuana remains illegal.
Possession of 14 grams or less carries only a fine of up to $100, with no jail sentence under that provision, even for subsequent convictions. Police are directed to use a summons instead of custodial arrest.
Possession of more than 14 grams can still result in incarceration, and penalties increase significantly for repeat offenses.
Is Medical Marijuana Legal in Louisiana?
Yes. Louisiana has a legal medical marijuana program.
An authorized clinician may recommend marijuana to a patient who has been clinically diagnosed with a debilitating medical condition. Louisiana permits marijuana in forms authorized by the Louisiana Department of Health, including raw or crude marijuana.
Unlike states that rely primarily on a traditional medical marijuana identification card for residents, Louisiana’s system uses a recommendation from an authorized clinician that is sent to a licensed marijuana retailer.
Authorized clinicians include qualifying Louisiana physicians, nurse practitioners with prescriptive authority and medical psychologists.
What Conditions Qualify for Medical Marijuana in Louisiana?
Louisiana has one of the broadest medical marijuana eligibility standards in the country.
State law specifically identifies conditions including:
- Cancer
- Glaucoma
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Huntington’s disease
- Lewy body dementia
- Motor neuron disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Spinal muscular atrophy
- HIV
- AIDS
- Cachexia or wasting syndrome
- Seizure disorders
- Epilepsy
- Spasticity
- Severe muscle spasms
- Intractable pain
- Crohn’s disease
- Muscular dystrophy
- Multiple sclerosis
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Certain severe symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorder
- Traumatic brain injury
- Concussion
- Chronic pain associated with fibromyalgia
- Chronic pain associated with sickle cell disease
- Conditions for which a patient is receiving hospice care
- Conditions for which a patient is receiving palliative care
Louisiana also includes a broad catch-all provision. An authorized clinician may recommend medical marijuana for another condition that the clinician considers debilitating to the individual patient and is qualified through clinical education and training to treat.
As a result, Louisiana patients are not necessarily limited to a fixed statutory list of diagnoses.
How Much Medical Marijuana Can Patients Buy in Louisiana?
Louisiana specifically limits sales of raw or crude marijuana flower to no more than 2.5 ounces, or 71 grams, per patient every 14 days.
For patients under 21, a clinician must specifically recommend raw or crude marijuana before a retailer may sell flower to the patient.
Other medical marijuana products are supplied according to the patient’s recommendation and applicable Louisiana Department of Health regulations.
What Types of Medical Marijuana Are Legal in Louisiana?
Louisiana allows a wide variety of medical marijuana products.
State regulations authorize forms including:
- Marijuana flower
- Oils
- Extracts
- Tinctures
- Sprays
- Pills
- Capsules
- Tablets
- Liquid oral products
- Gelatin- or pectin-based chewables
- Topical creams and lotions
- Transdermal patches
- Suppositories
- Metered-dose inhalers
- Other forms approved by the Louisiana Department of Health
Louisiana regulations also specifically allow edible products and combustible products made from marijuana flower.
Can You Smoke Medical Marijuana in Louisiana?
Louisiana allows licensed retailers to sell combustible marijuana products made from flower to qualifying patients.
However, that does not mean smoking is permitted everywhere. Property restrictions, smoking laws and other location-specific rules can still apply.
A new law effective August 1, 2026, provides a particularly important exception for certain terminally ill patients in healthcare facilities. Covered facilities must permit qualifying patients to use medical marijuana but must prohibit smoking and vaping as methods of use within the facility.
Can Medical Marijuana Patients Grow Marijuana at Home in Louisiana?
No. Louisiana does not authorize patients or caregivers to grow marijuana at home.
Marijuana cultivation for the state medical program is restricted to entities licensed by the Louisiana Department of Health. State regulations provide for a maximum of two licensed medical marijuana production facilities.
Patients therefore cannot legally grow their own plants even if they have a valid medical marijuana recommendation.
Recreational home cultivation is also illegal.
What Are the Benefits of Louisiana’s Medical Marijuana Program?
The most important benefit is protection from Louisiana’s criminal marijuana possession law when the patient possesses medical marijuana in accordance with the state program.
Louisiana law expressly exempts qualifying medical marijuana patients, certain caregivers and visiting qualifying patients from the ordinary marijuana possession provisions when they comply with the medical program.
Patients also receive:
- Access to licensed medical marijuana dispensaries
- Access to marijuana flower and other THC-containing products
- Home delivery from licensed retailers
- A 2.5-ounce flower purchase allowance every 14 days
- Protection for qualifying possession that recreational consumers do not receive
- A state sales tax exemption on recommended medical marijuana
Louisiana law exempts the sale of marijuana recommended for therapeutic use from state sales and use tax. Local governments may separately choose to provide a corresponding local tax exemption.
Can You Buy Marijuana at a Dispensary in Louisiana?
Qualifying medical marijuana patients can. Recreational consumers cannot.
Louisiana licenses medical marijuana retailers through the Louisiana Department of Health. Regulatory authority over the dispensaries transferred from the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy to the Department of Health effective January 1, 2025.
State regulations allow no more than 30 permits for medical marijuana retailers and approved satellite locations.
Patients generally need an authorized clinician to send a signed paper or electronic recommendation directly to a retailer before marijuana can be provided.
Is Medical Marijuana Delivery Legal in Louisiana?
Yes.
Louisiana regulations allow licensed medical marijuana retailers to deliver products to a patient or caregiver’s home address. Retailers must make delivery available upon request at least once per month in each ZIP code they service.
Medical marijuana cannot be delivered outside Louisiana.
Recreational marijuana delivery remains illegal.
Does Louisiana Recognize Out-of-State Medical Marijuana Cards?
Yes. Louisiana provides limited reciprocity for visiting medical marijuana patients.
A visiting qualifying patient is generally someone who is not a Louisiana resident, or has lived in Louisiana for fewer than 30 days, and possesses a valid medical marijuana registry card or equivalent issued by another U.S. jurisdiction.
A visiting patient may purchase medical marijuana from a Louisiana licensed retailer after presenting the required identification and documentation and certifying that the patient has a qualifying debilitating medical condition.
This is more expansive than states that recognize out-of-state cards only for possession but do not allow visitors to purchase from dispensaries.
Can You Bring Medical Marijuana Into Louisiana From Another State?
Louisiana’s reciprocity law allows qualifying visitors to purchase medical marijuana from Louisiana retailers, but it does not authorize transporting marijuana across state lines.
Louisiana’s medical marijuana rules require marijuana sold through the state program to come from licensed in-state production facilities, and state law prohibits regulated marijuana from being transferred to or obtained from locations outside Louisiana.
Travelers should purchase qualifying products within Louisiana rather than bringing marijuana across a state border.
Can You Buy Recreational Marijuana in Louisiana?
No.
Louisiana does not license recreational marijuana stores. All legal marijuana retail sales are through the state’s medical marijuana program to qualifying patients.
Adults without a medical recommendation cannot legally purchase marijuana simply because they are 21 or older.
Can You Give Marijuana to Someone Else in Louisiana?
Louisiana does not have a legal recreational marijuana gifting system.
Transferring marijuana to another person can potentially constitute distribution even when no money changes hands. Distribution offenses carry substantially greater penalties than simple possession.
Medical marijuana patients must keep their marijuana within the regulated medical system and cannot legally divert products to another person. Louisiana’s visiting-patient law specifically requires patients to certify that they will not divert medical marijuana purchased from a retailer.
Can You Drive After Using Marijuana in Louisiana?
No. Louisiana’s medical marijuana law does not authorize impaired driving.
A valid medical marijuana recommendation protects qualifying possession and use under the medical program, but it does not give a patient permission to operate a vehicle while impaired.
Patients should also keep medical marijuana in its original labeled packaging when transporting it and avoid consuming it while operating a vehicle.
Are Medical Marijuana Patients Protected at Work in Louisiana?
Louisiana provides some employment protection for medical marijuana patients who work for the state.
A state employer generally cannot take negative employment action based solely on a positive marijuana test when an employee or applicant has a qualifying debilitating condition and marijuana has been recommended in accordance with state law.
However, exceptions apply, including for impairment at work, certain employees responsible for state vehicles and categories such as law enforcement, public safety, firefighters and emergency medical services.
The law applies to state employers and should not be interpreted as a general protection covering every private-sector employee.
What Changed With Louisiana Marijuana Laws in 2026?
Louisiana made several notable medical marijuana changes in 2026.
Medical Marijuana Access in Healthcare Facilities
Act 602, which took effect August 1, 2026, requires covered healthcare facilities to allow qualifying terminally ill patients to use medical marijuana.
Facilities must include the marijuana use in the patient’s medical record and verify the patient’s recommendation. Smoking and vaping are prohibited methods of administration in the facility.
New Medical Marijuana Retail Rules
New Louisiana Department of Health regulations published in January 2026 established updated rules for medical marijuana retailers.
Among other provisions, the rules require retailers to offer delivery at least once per month in each ZIP code they service and establish requirements for recommendations, packaging, labeling, dispensing and product tracking.
The broader legal framework remained unchanged: recreational marijuana is still illegal, qualifying medical marijuana remains legal and patients are not allowed to grow marijuana at home.
Related Marijuana Laws and Protections
Residents should also be aware that legalization does not eliminate restrictions on impaired driving or guarantee workplace protections. See our guides to marijuana DUI laws by state and marijuana employment laws for a broader look at how Illinois compares with other states.
People with past marijuana convictions may also qualify for record-clearing relief. Our Marijuana Expungement Laws by State guide explains how all 50 states handle expungement and related relief.
Official Sources
- Louisiana Revised Statutes § 40:966 — Marijuana Possession and Penalties
- Louisiana Revised Statutes § 40:1046 — Medical Marijuana Program
- Louisiana Revised Statutes § 40:1046.1 — Visiting Medical Marijuana Patients
- Louisiana Department of Health — 2026 Medical Marijuana Retail Regulations
- Louisiana Act 602 of 2026 — Medical Marijuana in Healthcare Facilities
