Title 40. Public Health and Safety

Chapter 4. Food and Drugs

Part X. Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law

40:967      Prohibited acts--Schedule II; penalties

A. Manufacture; distribution. Except as authorized by this Part¹ or by Part VII-B of Chapter 5 of Title 40 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950², it shall be unlawful for any person knowingly or intentionally: 

(1) To produce, manufacture, distribute, or dispense or possess with intent to produce, manufacture, distribute, or dispense, a controlled dangerous substance or controlled substance analogue classified in Schedule II. 

(2) To create, distribute, or possess with intent to distribute, a counterfeit controlled dangerous substance classified in Schedule II. 

B. Violations of Subsection A. Any person who violates Subsection A of this Section with respect to: 

(1) Except as otherwise provided in Paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) of this Subsection, a substance classified in Schedule II for an amount of: 

(a) An aggregate weight of less than twenty-eight grams, shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not less than one year nor more than ten years and may, in addition, be fined not more than fifty thousand dollars. 

(b) An aggregate weight of twenty-eight grams or more, shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not less than one year nor more than twenty years and may, in addition, be fined not more than fifty thousand dollars. 

(2)(a) Production or manufacturing of amphetamine or methamphetamine shall be sentenced to imprisonment at hard labor for not less than ten years nor more than thirty years, at least ten years of which shall be served without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence, and in addition may be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than five hundred thousand dollars. 

(b) This Subparagraph shall be cited as the “Child Endangerment Law”. When the state proves in addition to the elements of the crime as set forth in Subsection A of this Section that a minor child twelve years of age or younger is present in the home, mobile home or other inhabited dwelling at the time of the commission of the offense, the minimum mandatory sentence shall be fifteen years without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. 

(3) Production or manufacturing of cocaine or cocaine base or a mixture or substance containing cocaine or its analogues as provided in Schedule II(A)(4) of R.S. 40:964 or oxycodone as provided in Schedule II(A)(1)(p) of R.S. 40:964 or methadone as provided in Schedule II(B)(15) of R.S. 40:964 shall be sentenced to imprisonment at hard labor for not less than ten nor more than thirty years, at least ten years of which shall be served without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence, and may be fined not more than five hundred thousand dollars. 

(4) Fentanyl or a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl or its analogues, or carfentanil or a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of carfentanil or its analogues, shall be punished as follows: 

(a) On conviction of an aggregate weight of less than twenty-eight grams, imprisonment at hard labor for not less than five years nor more than forty years, at least five years of which shall be served without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence, and may, in addition, be required to pay a fine of not more than fifty thousand dollars. 

(b) On a first conviction of an aggregate weight of twenty-eight grams or more but less than two hundred fifty grams, imprisonment at hard labor for not less than seven years nor more than forty years, at least seven years of which shall be served without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence, and may, in addition, be required to pay a fine of not more than fifty thousand dollars. 

(c) On a second conviction of an aggregate weight of twenty eight grams or more but less than two hundred fifty grams, imprisonment at hard labor for not less than thirty years nor more than forty years, at least ten years of which shall be served without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence, and may, in addition, be required to pay a fine of not more than five hundred thousand dollars. 

(d) On a third conviction of an aggregate weight of twenty eight grams or more but less than two hundred fifty grams, imprisonment at hard labor for not less than ninety-nine years without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence, and may, in addition, be required to pay a fine of not more than five hundred thousand dollars. 

(e) On conviction of an aggregate weight of two hundred fifty grams or more, life imprisonment at hard labor, at least twenty-five years of which shall be served without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. 

(f)(i) If the offender unlawfully distributes or dispenses fentanyl or a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl or its analogues, or carfentanil or a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of carfentanil or its analogues, which is the direct cause of serious bodily injury to the person who ingested or consumed the substance, the offense shall be classified as a crime of violence, and the offender shall be imprisoned at hard labor for an additional period of five years without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence. The additional penalty imposed pursuant to this Subparagraph shall be served consecutively to the sentence imposed under this Paragraph. 

(ii) For purposes of this Subparagraph, “serious bodily injury” shall have the same meaning as provided by R.S. 14:2(C). 

(iii) This Subsection shall be known and may be cited as “Millie’s Law”. 

C. Possession.  It is unlawful for any person knowingly or intentionally to possess a controlled dangerous substance as classified in Schedule II unless such substance was obtained directly or pursuant to a valid prescription or order from a practitioner, as provided in R.S. 40:978 while acting in the course of his professional practice, or except as otherwise authorized by this Part. Any person who violates this Subsection with respect to: 

(1) An aggregate weight of less than two grams, shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than two years and, in addition, may be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than five thousand dollars. 

(2) An aggregate weight of two grams or more but less than twenty-eight grams shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not less than one year nor more than five years and, in addition, may be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than five thousand dollars. 

(3) Phencyclidine, for an amount of an aggregate weight of less than twenty-eight grams, shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not less than one year nor more than twenty years, or required to pay a fine of not more than five thousand dollars, or both. 

(4) Fentanyl or a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl or its analogues, or carfentanil or a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of carfentanil or its analogues, upon conviction for an amount of: 

(a) An aggregate weight of less than two grams, shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not less than two years nor more than four years. 

(b) An aggregate weight of two grams or more but less than twenty-eight grams, shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not less than two years nor more than ten years and may, in addition, be required to pay a fine of not more than five thousand dollars. 

D. If a person knowingly or intentionally possesses a controlled substance as classified in Schedule II, unless such substance was obtained directly or pursuant to a valid prescription or order from a practitioner, as provided in R.S. 40:978 while acting in the course of his professional practice, where the amount of the controlled substance is an aggregate weight of twenty-eight grams or more, it shall be considered a violation of Subsection A of this Section. 

E. Treatment for fentanyl or carfentanil addiction as a condition for probation. 

(1) Upon conviction of Paragraph (C)(4) of this Section, possession of fentanyl or carfentanil, the court may suspend any sentence which it imposes and place the defendant on probation pursuant to Code of Criminal Procedure Article 893. The court may order the division of probation and parole of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections to conduct a presentence investigation, or may order the defendant to obtain a substance abuse evaluation, for the purpose of determining whether the defendant has a substance abuse disorder. 

(2) Upon receiving the report or evaluation, the court shall, if it finds probable cause from such report to believe the defendant has a substance abuse disorder, order a contradictory hearing for the purpose of making a judicial determination on whether the defendant has a substance abuse disorder. 

(3) If, at such contradictory hearing, the court determines that the defendant has a substance abuse disorder, it shall require as a condition of probation that the defendant complete a drug treatment program if the following conditions are met: 

(a) There is an available program in the local jurisdiction that has sufficient experience in working with criminal justice participants with substance abuse disorders and is certified and approved by the state of Louisiana. 

(b) The cost of the approved treatment does not create a substantial financial hardship to the defendant or his dependents. For purposes of this determination, “substantial financial hardship” shall have the same meaning as provided in R.S. 15:175. 

(4) If the offender does not successfully complete the drug treatment program, or otherwise violates the conditions of his probation, the court may revoke the probation or impose other sanctions pursuant to Article 900 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. 

F, G. Repealed by Acts 2017, No. 281, § 3. 

Acts 1972, No. 634, § 1. Amended by Acts 1973, No. 207, § 4; Acts 1978, No. 725, § 5, eff. July 17, 1978; Acts 1979, No. 313, § 1; Acts 1982, No. 602, § 1; Acts 1984, No. 667, § 1; Acts 1984, No. 753, § 1; Acts 1986, No. 627, § 1; Acts 1989, No. 369, § 1; Acts 1990, No. 542, § 1; Acts 1991, 1st Ex.Sess., No. 2, § 1; Acts 1991, No. 100, § 1; Acts 1991, No. 513, § 2; Acts 1993, No. 969, § 1; Acts 1994, 3rd Ex.Sess., No. 77, § 1; Acts 1997, No. 1284, § 1; Acts 1999, No. 1194, § 1; Acts 2000, 1st Ex.Sess., No. 13, § 1, eff. April 13, 2000; Acts 2001, No. 403, § 4, eff. June 15, 2001; Acts 2001, No. 1036, § 1; Acts 2002, 1st Ex.Sess., No. 45, § 1, eff. April 18, 2002; Acts 2003, No. 761, § 1; Acts 2005, No. 337, § 2; Acts 2006, No. 68, § 2; Acts 2008, No. 477, § 1; Acts 2017, No. 281, § 2; Acts 2018, No. 677, § 1; Acts 2022, No. 671, § 1; Acts 2023, No. 399, § 1.

Footnotes

¹ R.S. 40:961 et seq.

² R.S. 40:1239.