Louisiana Governor Signs HB 568, Expanding Drug-Free School Zone Penalties For Cannabis Use

2 June, 2026

Louisiana’s New Cannabis-Related School Zone Law

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry has signed HB 568, a bill that changes the state’s drug-free school zone penalties.

The law takes effect August 1, 2026. It applies to people who violate drug laws while smoking, vaping, or otherwise using controlled substances on school property, within 2,000 feet of school property, or on a school bus.

The bill was sponsored by Representative Gabe Firment, a Republican. According to the official bill summary, HB 568 amends and reenacts parts of Louisiana law on drug-free school zones and adds new provisions for enhanced penalties for certain violations.

What HB 568 Does

HB 568 adds a behavior-based provision to Louisiana’s drug-free school zone law. The law covers people who violate drug laws while smoking, vaping, or otherwise using controlled dangerous substances in covered school-zone areas.

Those areas include property used for school purposes, areas within 2,000 feet of that property, and school buses.

For some drug-free school zone violations, offenders may receive the maximum fine and imprisonment for up to one and a half times the longest authorized term. Those sentences are not eligible for parole, probation, or suspension, matching the restrictions tied to the underlying drug offenses.

But the law also includes a specific exception for certain marijuana-related violations. If the violation in a drug-free school zone also falls under the marijuana provision referenced in the bill summary, R.S. 40:966(C)(2), the penalty is reduced to a maximum of one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000, instead of the harsher penalties otherwise required.

Why Governor Landry Said He Signed It

Governor Landry connected the bill to marijuana use at school and college campuses.

In a video posted to social media, he said he was “tired” of going to college and high school campuses and being “inundated with the smell of marijuana.” He also said he was tired of seeing drugs on high school and college campuses and said they harm students.

Landry said the bill would put stronger penalties on people caught smoking or vaping marijuana or using other illegal drugs in drug-free school zones.

His staff previously testified in favor of the measure during a committee hearing.

What Supporters Said

Representative Gabe Firment told lawmakers that HB 568 strengthens enforcement of Louisiana’s drug-free school zone laws by creating a clear behavior-based offense.

His argument was that when someone is openly smoking or vaping an illegal drug in a school zone, law enforcement can act and prosecutors can prove the case.

Senator Rick Edmonds, also a Republican, made a similar point on the Senate floor before the final vote. He said the bill does not change what is legal, but gives law enforcement a practical tool and clarifies the penalty structure in school zones.

What Opponents Said

The Marijuana Policy Project criticized the legislation after Landry signed it.

Kevin Caldwell, the group’s Southeast legislative manager, said the organization was disappointed to see the bill become law. He said Landry’s lobbying efforts pushed lawmakers to support a bill that the group believes will have negative consequences for many Louisianans.

Caldwell also said no child in Louisiana would be safer after the law takes effect, and he argued that historical data shows who will bear the burden of the policy.

There are many other critics of the size of the 2,000-foot zone, noting that 2,000 feet is about 0.38 miles. In many cities and suburbs, that distance could cover ordinary homes and neighborhoods near schools.

How This Compares With Louisiana’s Current Marijuana Possession Penalty

The new law sits alongside an earlier cannabis reform in Louisiana.

In 2021, then-Governor John Bel Edwards signed a bill that removed jail time for possessing up to 14 grams of marijuana. The current penalty for possessing up to 14 grams is a fine of up to $100, with no jail time.

HB 568 does not simply rewrite that possession rule statewide. It targets drug-law violations tied to smoking, vaping, or otherwise using controlled substances in school-zone areas.

Still, the practical effect may be sharper penalties for marijuana use in covered areas. For certain marijuana-related school-zone violations, the penalty can be up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.

What This Means For Cannabis Consumers In Louisiana

For cannabis consumers, the main issue is location.

The law covers school property, school buses, and areas within 2,000 feet of school property. That may include places beyond the school grounds themselves. Near high schools, elementary schools, colleges, or other covered school-use properties, the zone can extend into surrounding streets and neighborhoods.

People who use cannabis in Louisiana already face restrictions under state law because recreational marijuana is not legal. HB 568 adds another layer of risk when the conduct happens in or near school-zone areas.

What This Means For Medical Cannabis Patients

HB 568 does not change Louisiana’s medical marijuana program.

But the law’s wording may still matter to patients because it focuses on smoking, vaping, or otherwise using controlled dangerous substances in school-zone areas while violating drug laws. The exact effect on a registered medical cannabis patient would likely depend on the facts of the situation and the underlying law involved.

For patients, the safest practical reading is that cannabis use near school property may carry added legal risk, especially once the law takes effect on August 1, 2026.

What This Means For The Cannabis Industry in Iowa

For Louisiana’s cannabis industry, HB 568 does not expand the medical cannabis market or create adult-use sales. It moves in the opposite direction by adding penalties in certain school-zone situations.

That may matter for cannabis advocacy groups, medical cannabis businesses, and future legalization campaigns. The law shows that the current administration is willing to back stricter enforcement around public cannabis use, especially near schools and campuses.

At the same time, Louisiana lawmakers considered several other cannabis and drug-policy measures during the same session. Those include a Senate bill that would let patients with terminal and irreversible conditions use medical marijuana in hospitals, a proposal for a psychedelic-assisted therapy pilot program funded with opioid settlement dollars, a task force proposal to study recreational marijuana legalization, and an adult-use cannabis pilot program bill.

Other Cannabis And Drug Policy Proposals In Louisiana

Meanwhile, there are several other related proposals.

• One Senate bill on Landry’s desk would allow patients with terminal and irreversible conditions to use medical marijuana in hospitals.
• Another measure sent to the governor would create a psychedelic-assisted therapy pilot program, using opioid settlement dollars to fund clinical trials involving possible alternatives such as psilocybin, ibogaine, and MDMA.
• A separate proposal would create a state task force to study and develop findings and recommendations on possible recreational marijuana legalization.
• Representative Candace Newell introduced the “Adult-Use Cannabis Pilot Program Regulation and Enforcement Act,” which would create an adult-use marijuana legalization pilot program.

Newell has previously backed legislation to end cannabis criminalization and sponsored a similar pilot proposal last session. That earlier measure did not become law, and lawmakers also rejected other marijuana reform proposals last session, including a tax system that would have prepared for eventual adult-use legalization.

The Bottom Line For Louisiana Residents

HB 568 changes Louisiana’s drug-free school zone law by adding penalties tied to smoking, vaping, or otherwise using controlled substances while violating drug laws on school property, within 2,000 feet of school property, or on a school bus.

For certain marijuana-related violations, the law carries up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.

Supporters say the law gives police and prosecutors a clearer enforcement tool in school zones. Critics say it expands criminal penalties across wide areas and may have serious consequences for people living near schools.

The law takes effect August 1, 2026.