Theres some white looking dust along the stem

That doesn't exactly look like whitefly but it is some kind of insect infestation. And a pretty significant one from the amount of stippling/discoloration showing.

Laurels of all cultivars are ubiquitous here....to the point where they are listed as borderline invasive. But I have never seen any with that severe of an issue.....typically just shothole or weevil damage. So don't take my word it is not whitefly :-) It just looks different from what I am used to.

The neem or even insecticidal soap should help but you must get it on the underside of the leaves and as complete coverage as possible. Not an easy task!

The Bayer systemic should work as well but is not a fast control. And the leaves are always going to look as they do now....until they naturally fall off due to age.

Spider mites are not active in cool, wet springs. They prefer very dry and warm weather.....typically a late season issue. And they almost never both Prunus laurocerasus of any type. Plus, there is clear evidence of a few larger insect bodies on the reverse which are not at all indicative of spider mites (which cannot be seen by the naked eye) and no webbing is visible either.

Lacebugs are a very strong possibility to produce that degree of stippling.

But if the exceedingly remote chance it is spider mites, the neem oil will address them. It is a registered miticide

Good morning Sandy, I'm not sure where you're located but spraying during hot weather can burn foliage. Please take a small branch to your county extension office for diagnosis to ensure you're not spraying multiple times while trying to guess the problem.

Oh bummer! Looks like spider mite damage. I just serviced a property with an entire hedge that’s been affected with spider mites and the leaf damage is similar. A miticide should be sufficient to prevent further damage.