Last verified: April 2026
Parishes Are Louisiana's Counties
Parishes are Louisiana's equivalent of counties — separate prosecutorial jurisdictions, separate sheriffs, separate political cultures. The §54-507 ordinance and the DA Williams declination policy both apply only inside Orleans Parish. Crossing the parish line resets the legal calculus.
The Five Parishes Surrounding New Orleans
| Parish | DA | Posture |
|---|---|---|
| Orleans | Jason Williams (D) | Declines simple possession; cite-and-release at city level |
| Jefferson (Metairie, Kenner, Gretna) | Paul Connick Jr. (D) | No parallel declination policy; prosecutes possession |
| St. Tammany (Slidell, Mandeville, Covington) | Collin Sims | Among Louisiana's strictest cannabis posture |
| St. Bernard (Chalmette) | Perry Nicosia | Standard state-law posture; no declination |
| Plaquemines | Charles Ballay | Standard state-law posture |
Cross the Orleans-Jefferson line on Veterans Boulevard, the 17th Street Canal, or the Huey P. Long Bridge, and the legal calculus changes. Verify current DA names against Louisiana Secretary of State records.
Orleans (New Orleans)
DA Jason Williams (D) declines simple possession. NOPD operates under §54-507 cite-and-release. Possession of any amount, in most circumstances, is a $40–$100 municipal summons. See DA Williams declination.
Jefferson Parish (Metairie, Kenner, Gretna, Harahan)
Jefferson is across the parish line on Veterans Boulevard, the 17th Street Canal, and the Huey P. Long Bridge. DA Paul Connick Jr. (D) does not have a parallel declination policy — Jefferson Parish prosecutes possession cases at the state level. Note that Jefferson includes:
- Metairie — directly west of New Orleans, separated by the 17th Street Canal.
- Kenner — Louis Armstrong International Airport (MSY) is here; airport-area enforcement is JPSO, not NOPD.
- Gretna — across the river on the West Bank.
- Harahan.
St. Tammany Parish (Slidell, Mandeville, Covington)
Across the 24-mile Lake Pontchartrain Causeway from New Orleans, St. Tammany is among Louisiana's strictest cannabis jurisdictions. The St. Tammany Sheriff's Office and parish DA prosecute aggressively. See Cannabis Louisiana Northshore page.
St. Bernard Parish (Chalmette)
Downriver of New Orleans, accessed via I-510 and Highway 46. Standard state-law enforcement; no declination policy. The St. Bernard Sheriff's Office patrols the parish.
Plaquemines Parish
South of New Orleans, extending down the Mississippi River. Includes Belle Chasse, where Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans is located. NAS-JRB is federal jurisdiction — UCMJ applies for service members and federal-employer rules apply for civilian DoD employees.
The Causeway, the 17th Street Canal, the Huey P. Long
The geographic boundaries between Orleans and its neighbors are not always intuitive:
- Veterans Boulevard / 17th Street Canal — the western Orleans-Jefferson line in the city.
- Lake Pontchartrain Causeway — the 24-mile bridge to St. Tammany; Orleans-St.Tammany boundary at the lake's south shore.
- Crescent City Connection — bridge across the Mississippi from CBD to Algiers (still Orleans Parish on the West Bank).
- Huey P. Long Bridge — west of CBD, crossing into Jefferson Parish on the West Bank.
- Twin Span (I-10 east) — to St. Tammany via Lake Pontchartrain east shore.
- I-510 / I-10 east — to St. Bernard.
The Causeway crossing is a particularly stark legal-environment shift. A driver leaving New Orleans (cite-and-release plus DA declination) and arriving in Mandeville (St. Tammany aggressive prosecution) enters a substantially different cannabis-enforcement environment. St. Tammany authorities have historically used Causeway-arrival traffic as an enforcement opportunity.
State Police Patrol the Interstates
The interstates — I-10, I-610, I-510, the Crescent City Connection — are patrolled by Louisiana State Police Troop B, regardless of which parish you're in. See NOPD vs. State Police.
For in-depth cannabis education, dosing guides, safety information, and research summaries, visit our partner site TryCannabis.org
Related on this site: Louisiana HB 652, New Orleans Code §54-507, Is Cannabis Legal in New Orleans? Dec....