An Indiana senator has introduced two bills this month that would make marijuana legal in the state.
Sen. Karen Tallian (D-District 4) introduced SB 87 and 223 which would allow for the regulation and legalization of marijuana in Indiana.
Under the current law in Indiana, a person would be charged with possession of marijuana for any amount on them. SB 227 would raise this amount to two ounces in order for a person to be charged. The bill would also repeal the offense as a level 6 felony.
SB 87 would establish a cannabis compliance commission to regulate all forms of legal cannabis in Indiana, including industrial hemp and low THC hemp extract.
“Arrests for marijuana possession made up 45% of all drug arrests from 2010-18 in Indiana. Contextually, Black Hoosiers are 3.5 times more likely to be arrested for the possession of marijuana. Our neighboring states have made efforts to address unjust marijuana laws, and it’s time for us to do the same,” said the senator on Facebook.
She added, “That’s why I authored SB 87 and 223 this session, to allow for the regulation and legalizations of marijuana in our state. I will be fighting for these bills because legalizing marijuana is the right thing to do. It’s time to move our state forward.”
