Indiana Democrats Announce Full Support for Recreational Cannabis

Highlighting the strong public support and potential for an economic boon to the state, the Indiana Democrats said Monday they will pursue marijuana legalization in the upcoming legislature.

The Indiana Democratic Party used the announcement to “show its full support for efforts to legalize recreational cannabis across the state” and put pressure on Hoosier Republicans, particularly Governor Eric Holcomb, to adhere to the Participate in reform efforts.

The Democrats also pointed to a recent poll that shows eight out of ten adults in Indiana support the legalization of marijuana.

“Legalizing marijuana in some form is backed by about 80 percent of the Hoosiers and would provide an opportunity to create additional revenue streams for the state, create well-paying jobs, develop a long-term harvest for Indiana’s ag and business communities, people.” how state veterans and seniors could provide medical opportunities and begin the process of simple possession records deletion across the state, “the Indiana Democratic Party said in the press release.

The Democrats’ announcement on Monday came on the eve of Organization Day, the ceremonial start of the legislative calendar, when lawmakers are sworn in and prepare with their colleagues for the upcoming meeting, which will begin in January.

Mike Schmuhl, chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party, said in the announcement that Indiana voters have reached out to their neighbors to recognize the merits of legalization, with the other Midwestern states, Illinois and Michigan, banning cannabis within end their respective limits.

Democrats said Indiana residents are currently “contributing millions of dollars to the Michigan and Illinois economies – where cannabis is legal”. Legalizing marijuana in Indiana, the Democrats said, would ensure that the state economy “has guaranteed long-term profitability for the state’s businesses and farming communities and provides a source of income for the General Assembly in future sessions.”

“Hoosiers have seen the impact recreational and medicinal cannabis use has had on the states around us, and not only are they contributing to the economies of neighboring states, Indiana is now on the verge of losing all. The Republican super majority in the Statehouse will lose their economic common sense if they don’t join the Democrats at this meeting and make this opportunity a winner for the Hoosier State, ”said Schmuhl.

“Marijuana is a very popular topic and a large majority of the Hoosiers want this to be done. The Democrats stand ready to take the lead in this effort because it is a win-win for Indiana and fulfills the party’s consistent promise to create a brighter future for the Hoosier families. It’s time to legalize recreational cannabis across Indiana. “

Legalization would mean a massive change for law enforcement in Indiana, where under current law “possession of even a single joint is punishable by a prison term of up to a year and a fine of up to $ 5,000,” according to the marijuana Policy Project (MPP).

MPP said Indiana was “now one of only 14 states without effective medical cannabis laws and one of only 19 still imprisonment for simply possessing cannabis.”

The state’s Democratic Party said there is bipartisan support for legalization alongside widespread public approval, with some GOP lawmakers eager to take that move.

But Holcomb, who is currently serving his second term as governor, has spoken out against legalization in the past. In 2019, Holcomb admitted that he smoked weed while studying, but that he couldn’t advocate legalization until the federal government acted first.

“If the law were to change, we would look at any positive or negative impact,” the governor said at the time. “I am not convinced that other states have made wise choices.”