IND: State Senator Announces Medical Marijuana Bill
Posted: Sat 27th Dec 2014 09:34 pm
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marijuana.com - By Tom Angell on December 17, 2014
Indiana State Senator Announces Medical Marijuana Bill
A move by Congress to block funding for federal interference in state medical marijuana laws is emboldening legislators who want their states to join others that already allow legal use of the drug or its components.
Indiana State Senator Karen Tallian announced Tuesday that she plans to file a medical cannabis bill when the legislature begins its 2015 session in January.
“Now that this last major federal obstacle has been lifted, it is my hope that the Indiana General Assembly will be more open to adopting sensible marijuana policies,” Tallian said in an email to Marijuana.com.
During the 2014 legislative session, Tallian introduced legislation to decriminalize marijuana possession, but it did not receive a hearing or a vote. She also previously sponsored a successful bill to create a study commission to examine Indiana’s criminal code, though the panel did not end up recommending any changes to marijuana laws.
Tallian hopes that Congress’s action on the federal level will make other legislators in Indiana more comfortable embracing marijuana reform. “While I can’t speak for my colleagues, this federal action removes another argument against maintaining prohibition,” she said.
Other public officials in the state are already speaking out for reform. In 2012, Indiana State Police Superintendent Paul Whitesall made headlines across the country by saying he would “legalize and tax” marijuana if it were up to him.
Details of Tallian’s forthcoming medical marijuana legislation have not yet been announced, and it is unclear if the bill will propose a comprehensive medical marijuana program similar to those in 23 states and the District of Columbia or if it will mimic laws in other conservative-leaning states that only allow CBD extracts to be used by a narrow pool of patients suffering from seizure disorders.
In either case, Chris Lindsey, a legislative analyst with the Marijuana Policy Project, predicted that other states will soon pursue moves to allow medical cannabis in light of Congress’s action defunding federal raids. “In particular, we hope the Florida legislature will adopt such a law, given the strong public support,” he said in an email to Marijuana.com. “We also expect Pennsylvania will pass a medical marijuana law this next session.”
marijuana.com - By Tom Angell on December 17, 2014
Indiana State Senator Announces Medical Marijuana Bill
A move by Congress to block funding for federal interference in state medical marijuana laws is emboldening legislators who want their states to join others that already allow legal use of the drug or its components.
Indiana State Senator Karen Tallian announced Tuesday that she plans to file a medical cannabis bill when the legislature begins its 2015 session in January.
“Now that this last major federal obstacle has been lifted, it is my hope that the Indiana General Assembly will be more open to adopting sensible marijuana policies,” Tallian said in an email to Marijuana.com.
During the 2014 legislative session, Tallian introduced legislation to decriminalize marijuana possession, but it did not receive a hearing or a vote. She also previously sponsored a successful bill to create a study commission to examine Indiana’s criminal code, though the panel did not end up recommending any changes to marijuana laws.
Tallian hopes that Congress’s action on the federal level will make other legislators in Indiana more comfortable embracing marijuana reform. “While I can’t speak for my colleagues, this federal action removes another argument against maintaining prohibition,” she said.
Other public officials in the state are already speaking out for reform. In 2012, Indiana State Police Superintendent Paul Whitesall made headlines across the country by saying he would “legalize and tax” marijuana if it were up to him.
Details of Tallian’s forthcoming medical marijuana legislation have not yet been announced, and it is unclear if the bill will propose a comprehensive medical marijuana program similar to those in 23 states and the District of Columbia or if it will mimic laws in other conservative-leaning states that only allow CBD extracts to be used by a narrow pool of patients suffering from seizure disorders.
In either case, Chris Lindsey, a legislative analyst with the Marijuana Policy Project, predicted that other states will soon pursue moves to allow medical cannabis in light of Congress’s action defunding federal raids. “In particular, we hope the Florida legislature will adopt such a law, given the strong public support,” he said in an email to Marijuana.com. “We also expect Pennsylvania will pass a medical marijuana law this next session.”