While cannabis policy reform is sweeping the Midwest, Indiana remains one of only 14 states with no effective medical cannabis law and one of only 19 that still imposes jail time for simple possession of cannabis. However, as more and more states move forward, it’s only a matter of time before Indiana improves its laws. The legislature has convened for its 2022 legislative session, and several cannabis policy reform bills have been introduced, including bills to legalize medical cannabis and decriminalize…

Lt. governor's marijuana legalization listening tour will visit New Castle, East Stroudsburg, Bethlehem, Reading, Lebanon, Tionesta, Duncansville Reynoldsville, and Indiana between tonight and Sunday, April 14. Over the next 11 days, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman will be hearing constituents' views on marijuana legalization in nine counties. If you live in any of those counties, try to stop by to make your voice heard. Here are upcoming stops: TONIGHT: New Castle (Lawrence County)Wednesday, April 3,…

If you live in Indiana, ask your lawmakers to support a comprehensive medical marijuana program today! Today marks the first day of Indiana’s legislative session. With the 2018 elections behind us, it’s time to push for medical marijuana in the Hoosier State. Lawmakers will feel increased pressure to reform Indiana’s outdated marijuana laws, especially since neighboring Ohio and Michigan have legalized medical and adult use marijuana, respectively. Senate Democrats have made medical marijuana legalization…

In August, Republican Representative Jim Lucas announced that he is planning to introduce medical marijuana legislation in the upcoming legislative session in Indiana. This is great news for the Hoosier State! Last fall, a poll commissioned by WTHR/Howey Politics found that 73% of voters in Indiana support medical marijuana legislation. Will you ask your lawmakers to stand with voters and protect Indiana patients? If you are an Indiana resident, please urge your lawmakers to support Rep. Lucas’ medical…

Just days after the bill was sent to his desk, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed into law HB 1148, a bill establishing a low-THC program for patients suffering from severe seizure disorders. The program will be run through the Department of Health and will allow patients access to cannabis oils containing less than 0.3% THC with their neurologists’ certification. The law takes effect on July 1, 2017, and you can check out our full summary of the program here. While this program will only benefit a…

A pair of bills that would allow certain patients to use low-THC cannabis are winding their way through the Indiana Legislature. One of the bills is markedly stronger than the other. SB 15 would allow patients suffering from intractable epilepsy to administer low-THC, CBD-rich medical cannabis with their doctor’s authorization. The bill would create a registry program and permit pharmacists to dispense the oil. It has passed the Senate and is now in the House Committee on Courts and the Criminal…

[caption id="attachment_7230" align="alignright" width="240"] Sen. Karen Tallian[/caption] State Senator Karen Tallian has long been a champion for improving marijuana-related laws in Indiana, and she has already introduced a new, compassionate bill that would establish a medical marijuana program in Indiana. If passed, SB 284 would allow patients to use and safely access medical cannabis, as is the case in 23 states and the District of Columbia. Medical marijuana can effectively alleviate a wide…

[caption id="attachment_7230" align="alignright" width="168"] Sen. Karen Tallian[/caption] Indiana state Senator Karen Tallian has taken an important step towards improving marijuana laws in Indiana by introducing SB 314. This bill would reduce the penalty for possessing a small amount of marijuana to a civil fine. Currently, a person who possesses up to 30 grams of marijuana in Indiana faces up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $5,000. Indiana’s penalties are some of the harshest in the country.…

Marijuana reform is a hot topic of conversation in state legislatures around the country and not just in traditionally liberal states like California and Rhode Island. In fact, bills to make marijuana possession punishable by a fine only, rather than jail time, were introduced this year in conservative bastions like Arizona and Tennessee, and it’s a too-well-kept secret that such laws have been on the books since the '70s in Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, and several other less-than-liberal states. You…

Rep. Mark Souder (R-Indiana), perhaps the most fanatic opponent of sensible marijuana laws in the U.S. Congress, announced that he is resigning this morning amid revelations that he had an affair with a 45-year-old staffer. Souder, who was preparing to run for his ninth term in office, has spent the last 16 years fighting for cruel and unscientific drug policies, many of which have caused irreparable harm to his country and his constituents. Among the lowlights: In defiance of mountains of evidence…