§ 3:1471 — Criminal penalties

§1471. Criminal penalties
A. It shall be unlawful for any person or entity to cultivate, handle, process, or
transport industrial hemp in any of the following circumstances:
(1) Without a license.
(2) Outside the scope of a license.
(3) If the industrial hemp originates from a seed that has not been approved by the
commissioner.
(4) If the Cannabis sativa L. plant or any part of that plant would otherwise be
industrial hemp as defined by this Part except that it has a THC concentration that exceeds
the THC concentration authorized in this Part. This shall not include handling the plant for
destruction as required by the department pursuant to this Part.
B. Whoever violates the provisions of this Section shall be imprisoned at hard labor
for not less than one year nor more than twenty years and shall be fined not more than fifty
thousand dollars.
C. The provisions of this Section shall not apply to the Louisiana State University
Agricultural Center, the Southern University Agricultural Center, and the University of
Louisiana at Monroe College of Pharmacy when performing research and development as
provided for in R.S. 3:1469.

Legislative History

Acts 2019, No. 164, §1, eff. June 6, 2019; Acts 2020, No. 344, §1; Acts 2021, No. 336, §1.