Representative Heath VanNatter has joined the calls for safe and regulated access to marijuana in Indiana.
Rep. VanNatter, a Republican, and members of the Safe & Regulated Indiana Coalition held a press conference at the Statehouse last week to introduce a new bill to legalize marijuana for adult use. HB1630 proposes comprehensive cannabis legalization accompanied by a detailed regulatory framework for its production, sale, and use.
According to Indiana Public Radio, Rep. VanNatter said:
“To be clear, this is not about promoting cannabis use. It’s about addressing the reality of its presence in our society with a responsible, conservative solution that upholds our principles of limited government, law and order, and the protection of families.”
It seems there’s significant support among Hoosiers to do so. A survey carried out late last year for Safe & Regulated Indiana found seventy percent of registered voters surveyed either strongly or somewhat supported legalization for residents over the age of 21, compared to 27% who opposed the idea.
The organisation says legalizing marijuana in Indiana would also create thousands of new jobs and bring in hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue. HB1630 would impose a 10% excise tax on cannabis sales.
While there may be majority support among Hoosiers, one of the issues presenting a hurdle to legalization is unlike some other US states, citizen-led ballot initiatives aren’t permitted. Over in Wisconsin – where medical and recreational marijuana appear to have majorities in voter support; it’s a similar situation. But Wisconsin’s Governor Tony Evers recently proposed requiring the state’s Legislature to allow voters to put binding referenda on the state ballot.
As for Indiana Governor Mike Braun, he has previously signalled legalizing marijuana would first require discussion with law enforcement agencies. But on the issue of medical marijuana, he’s more positive – previously stating “it’s probably time”.
While Indiana remains one of a handful of US states without a medical cannabis program (and is surrounded by states that, or will soon, do), Hoosiers can buy and possess CBD oil if it meets labeling requirements and contains no more than 0.3 percent of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) – cannabinoids that are most commonly associated with marijuana’s “high”.
