2022 legislative session adjourns without any cannabis bills advancing
Last update: March 21, 2022
Although there were 13 cannabis-related bills introduced in the 2022 legislative session — including bills to legalize medical cannabis and to decriminalize possession of small amounts of cannabis — none advanced out of committee.
Indiana is now one of only 13 states with no effective medical cannabis law and one of only 19 that still imposes jail time for simple possession of cannabis. Under current law, possession of even a single joint is punishable by up to a year of incarceration and a fine of up to $5,000.
Both Indiana’s neighbor to the north, Michigan, and its neighbor to the west, Illinois, have legalized cannabis for adults' use. And, Ohio, its eastern neighbor, has a comprehensive medical cannabis program.
As more and more states move forward, it’s only a matter of time before Indiana improves its laws.
Make sure your lawmakers know this issue matters to voters; ask them to support cannabis policy reform!
Gov. Holcomb signs bill legalizing low-THC CBD oil
On March 21, 2018, Gov. Eric Holcomb signed Senate Enrolled Act 52, legalizing low-THC CBD derived from industrial hemp. The law allows any person to buy, sell, and possess CBD oil, as long as it meets certain labeling requirements and contains no more than 0.3 percent THC.
The law provides a much needed expansion to Indiana’s 2017 low-THC law for patients with seizure disorders, which only allowed CBD oil for epileptic patients while providing no way for them to purchase it. Still, the law provides no clarification on the legality of manufacturing CBD in Indiana.
Given the benefits cannabis policy reform has — from allowing police to focus on real crime to raising revenue through legalization and taxation to improving seriously ill patients’ health and well-being with medical cannabis — it should be just a matter of time before legislators catch up to the will of the voters. You can help make change come to Indiana by subscribing to our email alerts.