New Orleans Had a 1 Percent Arrest Rate for Cannabis Between 2016 and 2017

The city council enacted an ordinance fining $40 for the first offense. The fines go up in $20 increments for each additional defense, capping-off at $100. The New Orleans Police Department implemented the policy well, with officers arresting people rarely for marijuana possession. Guidry said that “In our estimation, the punishment more neatly matches the crime.”