Marijuana bills get bipartisan support but face uncertain future

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Legislative leaders this week gave no indication they plan to permit laws on legalizing hashish to proceed.

Lawmakers from each events have filed laws to legalize marijuana in some type. Rep. Jake Teshka, R-South Bend, and two different Home Republicans filed a invoice that units up a system to tax and regulate marijuana for medicinal use and for leisure use for individuals ages 21 and older. In an interview with Information 8 on Monday, Teshka mentioned the invoice’s provisions would solely take impact if the federal authorities removes marijuana from the Schedule I record of managed substances. Schedule I substances are these which the federal authorities determines don’t have any at present accepted medical use and a excessive potential for abuse.

“I do assume there have been shifting attitudes within the legislature because it pertains to this situation,” he mentioned. “And I feel attitudes will proceed to shift.”

Democrats have filed payments of their very own. Senate Majority Chief Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, filed laws on Wednesday that might enable medicinal use of hashish whereas Rep. Blake Johnson, D-Indianapolis, filed a invoice to permit leisure use. Taylor instructed reporters this week the legislature is out of step with the desires of Indiana voters. He pointed to the newest Ball State College Hoosier Survey, which confirmed 85% of respondents mentioned marijuana must be legalized in some type.

“But regardless of all these views by Hoosiers, I’m involved, primarily based on previous tendencies, that we’ll nonetheless be going to fail to get these insurance policies handed,” he mentioned.

Whether or not such laws strikes ahead is one other matter. Prime-ranking Republicans within the Home and particularly the Senate, who finally management which payments get heard or voted on, have been hostile to such laws previously. To date this session, they’ve given no indication they plan to deal with such laws in another way. Gov. Eric Holcomb has repeatedly mentioned he gained’t signal any legalization laws so long as the Drug Enforcement Administration lists marijuana as Schedule I. He reaffirmed that place when Information 8 requested him about Teshka’s invoice.

“I’m not going to start out, in 12 months seven, to choose and select which legal guidelines I wish to implement. And so I’m actually not going to chase some initiative for monetary acquire if I imagine it’s unlawful,” he mentioned. “And so up till it’s authorized to have that dialog, then I’ll deal with that ‘if’ as if it have been actuality.”