Politics
Indiana GOP Senators Block Another Attempt To Legalize Marijuana Through Budget Bill
Indiana Republican senators have rejected another attempt to legalize marijuana in the state.
On Monday, the Senate considered numerous amendments to a two-year budget, defeating many Democratic-led proposals including one from Sen. Rodney Pol (D) to create a regulated adult-use cannabis market.
Pol stressed that Indiana is “losing out” to neighboring states such as Illinois and Michigan that have already enacted legalization, with tax revenue from marijuana sales being diverted to those states as Indianans patronized their licensed businesses.
He said it’s “frustrating” to watch Indiana “lose on an opportunity to keep our dollars in our state and provide relief to those individuals that are dealing with cancer, PTSD, chronic pain and other ailments that prefer cannabis for needed relief, as opposed to pharmaceuticals.”
“We have hundreds of people in the hallway that are concerned about money that we are spending,” he said. “And this is an easy way to turn what is in an illicit market that is funding more crime right now into a regulated and safe taxed market that we reap the benefits of.”
“This is a conversation that we just keep avoiding, and it’s just inevitable.”
The amendment—which would achieve what Rodney proposed in a standalone legalization bill he filed in January—was defeated in a voice vote.
Despite the GOP-controlled legislature’s history on marijuana policy reform, some have suspected the tides could change in 2025. Part of that enthusiasm comes from the fact that Gov. Mike Braun (R) has said that “it’s probably time” to allow access to medical cannabis.
Indiana’s top Senate leader said earlier this month that decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana would be a “smart move” in his view, though he remains “unconvinced” that broader legalization of cannabis is in the state’s best interest.
Lawmakers are considering a number of hemp- and cannabis-related bills this session, including a “craft hemp flower products” bill that would set an age limit for products and establish rules around licensing, testing, packaging and advertising.
Another piece of legislation would ban all marijuana advertising within state lines. Initially that bill would have prohibited only billboard advertising of marijuana, but the proposal was expanded under an amendment adopted in committee.
Top Republicans in the legislature, however, have openly opposed marijuana reform.
For example, House Speaker Todd Huston (R) has voiced doubts about any medical benefits associated with marijuana, calling the substance “a deterrent to mental health.” He and others have suggested that lawmakers supportive of the reform merely want to boost state revenue.
In January, meanwhile, GOP lawmakers rejected a Democratic-led attempt to legalize marijuana in the state.
Rep. Kyle Miller (D) sought to remove cannabis from the state’s list of controlled substances through an amendment to a broader bill. But following a brief debate, the House ruled the amendment out of order.
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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
