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Louisiana Laws and Programs

Louisiana is a major site of drug trafficking with much distribution taking place over the state's highways. The state's rural nature and high degree of poverty (18.6 percent of the population lived below the poverty level in 2007, the second highest proportion among U.S. states) and coastal location make it particularly vulnerable to drug trafficking and distribution. Cocaine is primarily smuggled into the state by Mexican drug trafficking organizations. Local criminal groups then sell cocaine in both powder form and as crack. Conversely, methamphetamine is produced domestically. The National Office of Drug Control Policy estimates that there are about 340 drug trafficking organizations working in the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), which includes counties in Louisiana; most of these organizations deal with marijuana and cocaine.

Types of Drugs Used

Marijuana is the most commonly used drug in Louisiana and high-grade marijuana is grown within the state as well as being imported. Cocaine, particularly in the form of crack, is widely available throughout the state, in both cities and rural areas. Crack has long been regarded as Louisiana's most serious drug threat because of the violence associated with crack distribution and the high rates of addiction associated with its use. Heroin is a threat primarily in New Orleans, where most of the supply comes from South America. Methamphetamine is replacing crack cocaine in some areas due to its low cost and longer-lasting effects. Use of club drugs, including MDMA (ecstasy), Ketamine, Rohypnol, LSD, and GHB is increasing among teenagers and young adults throughout the state. Diversion of prescription drugs, including hydrocodone (e.g., Vicodin), oxycodone (e.g., OxyContin) and alprazolam (e.g., Xanax) is also increasing. Federal drug seizures in Louisiana in 2008 included 1,394.3 kilograms of marijuana, 168.3 kilograms of cocaine, 12.9 kilograms of heroin, 10.1 kilograms of methamphetamine and 15,647 dosage units of MDMA.

In 2006–07 marijuana was the illicit drug most often used by Louisiana citizens age 12 and older, with 10.01 percent reporting use in the last year and 8.15 percent in the past month. Nonprescription use of pain relievers was the second most common drug of abuse (6.19 percent in the previous year) followed by cocaine (2.57 percent in the previous year). About 2 percent reported illicit drug dependence in the previous year. Marijuana was also the most popular illicit drug for young people aged 13–17 years with 11.99 percent reporting use in the past year and 5.76 percent in the past month. Nonmedical use of pain relievers was second most common (8.33 percent in the previous year) followed by cocaine use (1.09 percent in the previous year). A different survey taken in 2008 reported that 27.5 percent of Louisiana 12th graders had used marijuana in their lifetime, while 10.6 percent reported having used sedatives, 9.7 percent illegal prescription drugs, 6.8 percent inhalants, 3.2 percent cocaine and 2.5 percent methamphetamine.

Laws and Enforcement

Louisiana drug laws were previously among the harshest in the nation and resulted in the state having the highest rate of incarceration in the country. Reform was prompted in part by the financial burden of maintaining a large number of nonviolent offenders in prison and also because this burden fell disproportionately on African Americans, who constituted three-fourths of the prison population but only one third of the state's total population. In June 2001 Louisiana passed sentencing reform that removed many mandatory minimum penalties and created a panel to review the sentences of current inmates to see if they should receive probation or parole.

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