State of Louisiana Archives: on Drugs

Antoine Pierce: Favors recreational & medical marijuana legalization

Top Policy Priorities:
• Medicinal cannabis prescription and recreational legalization
• Pass criminal justice reform
• Universal Healthcare/Medicare For All
• Protect women's rights and autonomy

Ralph Abraham: Opioids are less dangerous and more effective than marijuana

Abraham has been openly enthusiastic about his support for opioid treatments, once suggesting that the drugs are far less dangerous and much more effective than medical marijuana.

"As a physician, let me tell you. What I see in my practice, from any level of marijuana use, is bad," Abraham stated in a 2014 debate. "I'm against recreational, I'm against medical. In the medical profession, for these chronic pain, poor cancer patients that need help, we have other alternatives that work better, Dilaudid, OxyContin, you name it, Oxycodone, we have several options that do a much better job for chronic pain."

Opioid overdoses surged an astonishing 14% in 2014, which was largely a consequence of physicians overprescribing the drugs.

Eddie Rispone: Against legalizing marijuana; need info about medical use

John Bel Edwards: Expand medical marijuana, but no recreational usage

Abraham: No on recreational. Current medical marijuana law OK, but don't expand.

Bel Edwards: No on recreational. Expand medical marijuana qualifying conditions.

Rispone: No on recreational

Ralph Abraham: Medical marijuana OK as-is, but no recreational usage

Abraham: No on recreational. Current medical marijuana law OK, but don't expand.

Bel Edwards: No on recreational. Expand medical marijuana qualifying conditions.

Rispone: No on recreational

Thomas Clements: Marijuana is a benefit to people's health

A: Marijuana is a benefit to people's health. War on people with prescription marijuana’drugs’should not be a crime. It's health issues rather than crime issue.

Charles Boustany: Consistently votes against marijuana reform

One marijuana advocate claimed that the contest is "the only senate race that keeps me up at night" because of its potential of sending a new ardent prohibitionist to the chamber. Due to Senate rules, just one member can hold things up and cause considerable problems for reform efforts. "There are only a handful of old school reefer madness legislators willing to fight left in Congress," the advocate said. "Fleming is one of them."

Also running in the primary is Congressman Charles Boustany (R), who also consistently votes against marijuana law reform efforts but isn't nearly as vocal about it as Fleming is.

John Fleming: OpEd: One of few remaining "reefer madness" legislators

One marijuana advocate claimed that the contest is "the only senate race that keeps me up at night" because of its potential of sending a new ardent prohibitionist to the chamber. Due to Senate rules, just one member can hold things up and cause considerable problems for reform efforts. "There are only a handful of old school reefer madness legislators willing to fight left in Congress," the advocate said. "Fleming is one of them."

Also running in the primary is Congressman Charles Boustany (R), who also consistently votes against marijuana law reform efforts but isn't nearly as vocal about it as Fleming is.

Jay Dardenne: Opposes legalizing marijuana

John Bel Edwards: Opposes legalizing marijuana

David Vitter: Strengthen penalties against meth and heroin dealers

• As our governor, David will target the continuing threats of methamphetamine labs, OxyContin abuse, and other prescription drug abuse in our rural communities.
• David authored legislation to increase the minimum jail sentence for drug dealers who target our children, because we can't be too tough on dangerous criminals who target our single most precious resource.
• David passed a budget amendment greatly strengthening penalties against meth and heroin dealers, particularly if the sale results in overdose or death.