INDIANAPOLIS — The legalization of marijuana could be a big topic ahead of this year's legislative session.
There are currently nine different bills that have been introduced that include marijuana or cannabis in their titles. Most are aimed at legalizing the plant in some capacity.
In past years, lawmakers have said proximity to other states where cannabis is legal has pushed the issue in Indiana. They've cited tax revenue in states like Illinois and Michigan as incentives to pass similar legislation.
Recently, marijuana has been recommended by scientists for reclassification as a schedule III drug at the federal level.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has previously said he will not legalize marijuana in the Hoosier state until it is federally legalized.
“I mean, I took an oath,” Holcomb told 13News in a 2021 interview. “So lets just say I agreed with it, I (also) agreed to uphold the law – state and federal.”
With Gov. Holcomb in his lame duck year, changes could be on the horizon regarding cannabis legislation, especially if the following bills are able to gain traction.
Here are the bills that are being introduced in the Indiana House and Senate ahead of the 2024 legislative session:
SB 99
Authored by Sens. Rodney Pol (D-District 4) and Fady Qaddoura (D-District 30), Senate Bill 99 would permit use of cannabis by persons 21 or older or persons with a serious medical condition as determined by a health care physician. It also establishes a cannabis excise tax.
SB 107
Authored by Sens. David Niezgodski (D-District 10) and Fady Qaddoura, Senate Bill 107 aims to establish a procedure for the lawful production and sale of cannabis in Indiana.
SB 126
Authored by Sen. Greg Taylor (D-District 33), Senate Bill 126 would establish a medical marijuana program and permit doctors and physicians to prescribe medical marijuana for treatment of certain medical conditions. It would also establish a regulatory committee and repeal the controlled substance excise tax and the marijuana eradication program.
SB 294
Authored by Sen. Eric Bassler (R-District 39), Senate Bill 294 would remove marijuana as a schedule I controlled substance. It would permit the use of medical marijuana by use of a person with a serious medical condition as prescribed by a doctor or physician. Similarly to SB 126, SB 294 would also establish an "Indiana Cannabis Commission" to oversee, implement and enforce the program.
HB 1146
Authored by Rep. Jim Lucas (R-District 69), House Bill 1146 would establish a medical marijuana program to permit the cultivation, processing, testing, transportation and dispensing of medical marijuana by holders of a valid permit. The bill also includes language that would make discrimination against medical marijuana users a criminal offense, in addition to providing defense support to persons caught operating a motor vehicle with marijuana or its derivatives in a person's blood.
HB 1282
Authored by Rep. Blake Johnson (D-District 100), House Bill 1282 would establish procedures for the lawful production and sale of cannabis in Indiana.
HB 1349
Authored by Rep. Heath VanNatter (R-District 38) and co-authored by Reps. Steve Bartles (R-District 74) and Jake Teshka (R-District 7), House Bill 1349 would decriminalize possession of a maximum two ounces of marijuana.
HB 1350
Also authored by Rep. VanNatter and co-authored by Reps. Bartles and Teshka, House Bill 1350 establishes a procedure for lawful manufacture and sale of marijuana in Indiana.
HB 1410
Authored by Rep. Zach Payne (R-District 66), House Bull 1410 legalizes the sale and use of cannabis in persons at least 18 years old. It also requires the Indiana Department of Health to establish a program that would issue medical marijuana cards to Hoosiers. It also includes language that would permit medical usage of cannabis in persons under 18 years of age, provided they have a prescription from a licensed doctor or physician. The bill further states that any cannabis sales tax would be waived for medicinal users.