The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and President Joe Biden’s administration are moving to downgrade marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III controlled substance.
This change signifies a softening in how federal law enforcement views marijuana, a drug that’s already been legalized in some form in most states.
Without legal recreational or medical use, Indiana is an outlier among Midwestern states when it comes to marijuana. It’s a hot topic, but not one that will be discussed by Indiana lawmakers during the upcoming interim committee meetings.
Pot has been left off the agenda, though the federal push to ease restrictions and classification of marijuana signal that legalization could be on the horizon.
STATE LAWMAKERS have studied marijuana in past committees, yet many GOP officials have declined to pursue legalization either medically or recreationally until more federal guidance was issued. Gov. Eric Holcomb has declined to support legalization while marijuana remains illegal at the federal level. But recent years have seen a more bipartisan push on the topic, and Hoosiers continue to favor legalization of marijuana.
The 2023 Hoosier Survey conducted by Ball State University shows 54.2% of respondents believe marijuana should be legal for recreational and medical use, and 32.2% support legalization for medical use only. Just 9.8% of respondents stated it should not be legal for any use.
“The findings are similar to last year’s findings in that Americans and Hoosiers have shifted dramatically on their attitudes toward marijuana,” said Chad Kinsella, director of the Bowen Center for Public Affairs and a political science professor at Ball State. “Many states have recently legalized marijuana, including neighboring states like Ohio in 2023.”
COMPLICATING THE MATTER, Indiana doesn’t have provisions for ballot access for voters. Even a million signatures wouldn’t be enough to get a question on the ballot as to whether marijuana should be legal in some form in Indiana. Thus, we have to depend on state lawmakers to make a decision, which they have failed to do because any legislation on legalization quickly dies during session.
Indiana retailers are already selling marijuana-related products such as Delta-8 and CBD. The federal government is signaling the potential for decriminalization if not legalization of marijuana. Indiana has ridden the fence for long enough on the topic. This summer would be a perfect opportunity for Indiana lawmakers to hear testimony and debate on legalization ahead of the 2025 session.
Medicaid and AI are certainly worthy topics for upcoming study committees. Marijuana is also an issue that should be addressed. If lawmakers don’t want to deal with the elephant in the room, then they should consider provisions to allow Hoosiers to vote on legalization.
© 2024 Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.