In Louisiana, recreational cannabis is decriminalized, medical cannabis is legal, and delta-8 THC is restricted.
Last verified October 24, 2026 · Last major change August 2026
Decriminalized. Not legal; possession of up to 14 grams carries a fine of up to $100 and no jail. Since Aug 1, 2026 (Act 305), using cannabis on or within 2,000 feet of school property or on a school bus carries up to 1 year of imprisonment.
Legal. State Health Department program with licensed medical marijuana retailers (capped at 30 locations); smokable flower is allowed, and patients with any debilitating condition may qualify.
With a clinician's recommendation, patients can buy smokable flower, pre-rolls, vapes, concentrates, edibles, tinctures, topicals, patches and metered-dose inhalers at state-permitted retailers; flower is limited to 2.5 oz per 14 days. Limits: No numeric THC potency cap found in R.S. 40:1046 or LDH rules. The statute only says THC levels must be reduced to the lowest acceptable therapeutic levels. Purchase limit: 71 g (2.5 oz) of raw/crude marijuana per 14 days.
Act 752 (effective Jan 2025) caps consumable hemp at 5 mg THC per serving and 40 mg per package, bans inhalable products and hemp flower, and limits sales to adults 21+; Health Department permit and testing rules took effect Jan 20, 2026.
Restricted. Delta-8 counts toward the 5 mg-per-serving and 40 mg-per-package THC caps; vapes and THC derivatives that do not occur naturally are banned.
Up to 14 grams: fine of up to $100 and no jail. Since Aug 1, 2026, using cannabis on or within 2,000 feet of school property or on a school bus carries up to 1 year in prison and a $1,000 fine.
In danger. Federal law excludes hemp products over 0.4 mg total THC per container from Dec. 11, 2026; Louisiana allows up to 5 mg THC per serving and 40 mg per package.
In danger on this tracker: In a state where recreational cannabis is not legal, an enacted law, court ruling or enforcement action is removing THC products adults can legally buy today.