INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Just weeks ago, four U.S. states, including New Jersey and Arizona, voted to legalize marijuana in some form.
State Rep. Jim Lucas hopes Indiana is next.
“I’m filing a medical cannabis bill, a decriminalization bill, and see if we can’t get a recreational bill going also. It is past time,” said Lucas, a Republican from Seymour.
For years, Lucas has tried to make marijuana matter in Indiana. The way he sees it, this could be a green opportunity for the state, as Hoosiers have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
“Jobs have been decimated. Almost a million Hoosiers were put out of work, during the spring and summer months. This is a jobs opportunity program. It’s an investment opportunity. I know we have investors willing to invest tens-of-millions of dollars, if not more, to come into our state and get this going,” said Lucas.
State Sen. Karen Tallian’s bill would legalize possession of a small amount of marijuana.
She says marijuana possession arrests in Indiana have gone from about 15,000/year, a decade ago, to close to 25,000 arrests a year.
“We’re going in the wrong direction. There’s just no need for this. It takes up court time, people’s time, money. It’s stupid that we keep prosecuting possession cases for small amounts, when in states all surrounding us, it’s legal,” said…
