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Should the change in the federal designation of marijuana affect whether lawmakers make it legal?
Last month, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration announced plans to federally reclassify cannabis from a Schedule I drug to the less restrictive Schedule III group. While this shift would not result in federal decriminalization, it does acknowledge the promising medical applicability of cannabis in managing symptoms of depression, post traumatic stress disorder, seizures and other illnesses.
Though this is a major victory, it is still only a single step forward. This move from the Biden administration shows it is time to enact federal and state-level legalization and end the stigma surrounding cannabis.
The federal reclassification of cannabis should, in theory, prompt lawmakers to change state laws to legalize cannabis. But of course, just because they should doesn’t mean they will.
Currently, 24 states have legalized recreational cannabis, and those states are reaping the financial rewards. In Michigan, more than $290.3 million in revenue was collected from recreational cannabis sales. Last year, sales in Illinois exceeded $1.6 billion. The revenue brought in from the sale of recreational cannabis helps to bolster state economies, driving new business and financial growth. But while Indiana’s neighbors profit from these revenue streams, Indiana’s restrictive laws leave us lagging behind.
Though Indiana still criminalizes recreational cannabis, delta-8 sales give us insight into the profit cannabis could bring to Indiana. According to a 2023 study by Whitney Economics, about 540 Indiana retail stores and about 1,400 gas stations have sold an estimated $637 million worth of hemp-based cannabinoid products. With this data in mind, it is not a leap to suggest that, if cannabis is legalized, sales would be significant. In fact, the Tax Foundation estimates that cannabis could bring in an additional $171 million in annual revenue for our state. This is a significant profit that could be used to directly fund schools, roads and infrastructure.
Despite the clear financial gains, Republican lawmakers have continued to drag their feet on this issue for years. Though the Biden administration has formally acknowledged the medicinal benefits of the drug and removed its label as one of the most dangerous, addictive substances, it is not likely we will see a major shift anytime soon. The stigma surrounding cannabis is deeply ingrained in our society and remains overwhelmingly present in Indiana’s Legislature.
In theory, if cannabis receives federal approval as a therapeutic drug, Indiana should follow suit. I want to remain optimistic that this reclassification will be the catalyst for change in Indiana, but unfortunately, that change will be slow in coming.•
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Summers represents District 99 in the Indiana House of Representatives, where she was first elected in 1991. Send comments to ibjedit@ibj.com.
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