Will Louisiana Be the First Red State to Legalize Weed?

One of the harshest states on pot offenders is reportedly exploring the idea of a recreational marijuana program. Saddled with $850 million in state debts, experts say Louisiana’s move is less motivated by safety as it is by money.

The idea to offset a colossal deficit with legal pot was allegedly born out of concern from lawmakers backing two bills that may cause budget cuts. Combined with the news that Colorado raked in $900 million from its marijuana program in 2015, it may be enough to get conservative pot prohibitionists to change their tune.

“I think they’re looking at it strictly as a profit-driven, tax-based incentive,” Kevin Caldwell, Executive Director of Commonsense NOLA, a non-partisan organization fighting for legalization, says of the rumblings about legalizing. Caldwell is excited about the legalization talk, and says New Orleans, which decriminalized it in 2010, has been paving the way.

But even Caldwell, who has devoted his life to the cause, isn’t getting his hopes up yet.

“I think it is more likely next session, once the politicians get the real blowback from the budget cuts,” he says. “Once the state sees cuts to things like social services and universities…I think that will reawaken some of the populism from our past which, in this case, is a good thing.”

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http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/03/01/will-louisiana-be-the-first-red-state-to-legalize-weed.html