Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
Whether it is medicinal or for legal adult use, it is time to legalize cannabis in Indiana.
Given the state’s proven track record of being incredibly accommodating to businesses and our strong agricultural roots, we are missing opportunities to attract new companies, create jobs and boost our economy overall.
The tax revenue on the products would generate a considerable amount of money. Money that would supplement or replace taxes Hoosiers are currently paying. Money that could go toward funding public-health initiatives in areas that Indiana is falling behind in, such as treating health problems like diabetes, addiction and mental illness. We have lowered our infant mortality rate here and yet more needs to be done.
The medicinal use of cannabis in various states has improved the lives of cancer patients and those attempting to manage pain. Interestingly, Amanda Chicago Lewis writes in a Wall Street Journal article, “The Healing Potential of Pot Without Plants,” that “early studies show cannabigerol, or CBG, for example, holds promise as a treatment for neurological disorders.” Legalizing cannabis will help our society.
This change would also help our local courts and jails by no longer forcing nonviolent offenders to go through drawn-out legal proceedings and sentencing individuals to jail time for simply owning or consuming marijuana. This would allow our law enforcement and correctional officers, as well as our judges, to focus on the violence that has been increasing in our state and, more specifically, our capital city.
While I do believe this would be a beneficial policy shift for a number of reasons, it is important to take our time to study the best way to adapt to such a major change. It would most likely require years of preparation. A framework would need to be set in place to properly regulate the manufacturing and distribution of cannabis products, as well as an overhaul of our current drug laws. And given the strong possibility of federal legalization, I think it is best that Indiana put some forethought into that possibility.
Luckily, we would not be entering this new territory blind. Given how many states have legalized marijuana, we can reap the benefits of seeing where others were able to succeed, and the pitfalls they may have experienced along the way. How did they do it? What are best practices?
We have been open-minded to the economic benefits of cannabis products on a smaller scale and have already altered our laws in recent years to allow the production of hemp. Why not go further? Are there any specific benefits to continuing to prohibit cannabis production and regulation other than we are afraid to take such a large step forward?
We can learn from other states’ experiences. When Colorado’s referendum on marijuana legalization passed, the state immediately created an expansive task force to determine the most appropriate way to accommodate such a dramatic cultural shift. Public hearings occurred often. Policy was made. If this change were to happen in Indiana, these processes would need to be incorporated as well. All voices involved would need to be heard and weighed equally. Do we want edibles or smokable versions of cannabis to be legally consumed? Or both?
Be it new revenue for health initiatives, a new business sector in the state or adding another way to help ill Hoosiers, it’s time to act. Legalize marijuana in Indiana.•
__________
Merritt is a former Republican state senator from Indianapolis.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.
I agree with legalizing marijuana because I lean libertarian and think that most things should be up to individual choice.
However, the problems with marijuana shouldn’t be ignored. In a previous life, I was a therapist at a youth agency and participated in working with teens with drug problems. Marijuana IS addictive, just not in the same way as other drugs. The THC in the marijuana builds up in the fat cells of the body. The brain has lots of fat. That is why long-term users of marijuana tend to start to think, and speak, slooowww. Also, because the THC enters the fat cells, it leaves the body more slowly than other drugs. Thus, the withdrawal symptoms from the THC are spread over time, including the “munchies”. It is long enough that people don’t always associate what their feeling with THC withdrawal, only that the marijuana makes them “happy” (because it is also alleviating the withdrawal symptoms), thus they become psychologically addicted.
It might sound like I’m arguing against legalization. Alcohol can be addictive. If I stop drinking caffeinated drinks, I get at least a day or two of headache due to caffeine withdrawal. I don’t think either should be made illegal. I DO think we need to be realistic and know that the benefits mentioned in this opinion piece will be offset, at least in part, by having more people addicted to marijuana and not thinking as well over time.