INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana lawmakers are once again considering a bill to legalize recreational marijuana, with hopes that the new administration might bring a shift in the state's stance on the issue.
A recent survey from the organization Safe and Regulated Indiana found that 7 out of 10 Hoosiers support legal, regulated marijuana. Those results have prompted renewed discussions at the statehouse.
With new public support and a new gubernatorial administration, some lawmakers believe this time, the vote could be different.
Rep. Heath VanNatter (R-Kokomo) introduced House Bill 1630, which would legalize recreational marijuana for adults aged 21 and older. VanNatter says it would create a regulated market.
"I have received over 400 emails in the last couple of weeks on this issue, and that is a huge number of emails for any issue," VanNatter said. "By moving to an adult-use regulated market, Indiana will be able to regulate nearly the entire existing market out of the gate to directly benefit our law enforcement and our taxpayers."
One supporter of Marijuana legalization is Keith Johnson, a Navy veteran who advocates for cannabis legalization.
Johnson, who suffered injuries from a car crash after leaving the military, says marijuana has improved his life by replacing a variety of medications, including opioids.
"I replaced 11 medications with cannabis CBD, CBN, these different cannabinoids," Johnson said. "I was expected to not even survive past 50... I am 57 now. I got back into the working life, I was so blown away by it!"
However, not all Republican leaders are on board with the proposal.
Gov. Mike Braun, a Republican, has been hesitant to throw his support behind legalizing recreational marijuana.
He has shown openness to medical marijuana. However, he has called for further discussions on the recreational legalization issue.
"When it comes to medical marijuana, I'm clear on the record that I am going to be amenable to hearing the case for it," Braun said. "So I guess that will be a high-profile bill, whether it gets a hearing or not, we will see."
For veterans like Johnson, the hope is that lawmakers will listen to their constituents and take action on the issue.
"Give it a shot, you know, if it’s a terrible thing, you can outlaw it a year or two later, but it won’t be a terrible thing," Johnson said.
Before advancing, House Bill 1630 would need to pass a committee hearing, where the public would have an opportunity to testify for or against the proposed legislation.
