Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jennifer McCormick announced a plan Wednesday to legalize marijuana in Indiana, first establishing a statewide medical cannabis industry.
The plan sets firmly in place what McCormick had previously hinted at. In an interview with the Indiana Daily Student last December, she did not explicitly endorse legalization. Rather, she said she supported building up the medical marijuana industry in Indiana first before looking into full legalization.
“I do agree it needs to start medically before we jump into recreation,” she said in December. “We need to make sure we have a good industry set, things established and put into place and see where that takes us.”
She still supports opening the state up to medical marijuana first as a “foundation” to ultimate full recreational legalization. Her five-point plan calls to establish the medical marijuana industry first, create an “Indiana Cannabis Commission” to regulate the industry under a potential transition, to eventually legalize adult recreational use.
The plan also looks to reap the economic benefits other states that have legalized marijuana have garnered — estimating about $172 million annually in tax revenue for the state. Another point of the plan aims to use legalization to regulate now-unregulated hemp derived THC products, common at gas stations and smoke shops across the state, to ensure safety standards.
The plan does not include a proposal for ending prosecution of simple possession, which McCormick previously told the IDS she supported. Possession of less than 30 grams of marijuana is a Class B Misdemeanor in Indiana, with a maximum penalty of 180 days in jail and/or a $1000 fine.
Marijuana is legal for recreational use in three states bordering Indiana — Illinois, Michigan and Ohio.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Braun does not support legalizing marijuana for recreational use, though he told Fox59 he was open to medical use.
