Indiana is 1 of only 12 states with no recreational or medical marijuana, and no decriminalization.
It’s time for Indiana to legalize, regulate, and tax cannabis sales.
Marijuana legalization benefits everyone. It frees up resources and raises funds for public schools. States that have ended marijuana prohibition haven’t looked back. That includes our neighbors in Michigan, Illinois, and Ohio who have legalized recreational and medicinal marijuana.
It’s critical to raise awareness about alternatives to the war on drugs in Indiana, to listen out neighbors concerns, and to spread the truth about how cannabis can benefit Indiana communities.
Not Convinced? Here's why Indiana should legalize marijuana:
$26.5 Billion Industry
Studies show Indiana could make $171 million a year in taxes from marijuana sales if lawmakers adopt Colorado's tax model.
That's money for our schools
That’s money that goes back to our communities – especially for schools and crime prevention.
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80% of Hoosiers Support Reform
A 2022 study by Ball State University and Indiana Public Broadcasting showed over 50% support for legalization and an additional 30% support for medicinal marijuana.
70% of U.S. Supports Full legalization
These national polls from 2022 reflect high support for legalization:
YouGov: 70%; Harris: 78%; SSRS: 69%; Monmouth: 68%; Data For Progress: 66%; Morning Consult: 66%.
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Safer than Alcohol and Opioids
The CDC reports 30,000 annual deaths attributed to alcohol. In 2021, there were 2,206 opioid overdose deaths in Indiana, which accounted for 78% of all drug overdose deaths in the state.
Unlike Alcohol or Opioids
Marijuana does not contribute to adult overdose deaths, long-term health problems like brain damage and cancer, violent crime, and is not addictive. Marijuana is not associated with fentanyl deaths.
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Wasted Resources
Each year, the US spends $7.6 billion enforcing archaic marijuana laws. More people are arrested for nonviolent cannabis offenses than for all violent crimes combined.
Wasted Time
Meanwhile, Police only cleared 33% of rapes, 31% of robberies, and 14% of burglaries by making an arrest. From 2017 to 2021, only 9 states arrested more people for marijuana than Indiana.
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No More Drug Dealers
Selling weed on the street ceases to be profitable when marijuana can be purchased safely and legally. That’s a win for everyone, except drug dealers.
Bye Bye Black Market
Why smuggle marijuana when you can grow and sell it legally right here in Indiana?
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Super-Crop for Farmers
Marijuana is a super-crop for regenerative agriculture. Marijuana can introduce many nutrients into the soil which then makes it more productive for other crops.
Go "Green"
Farmers can benefit from crops of marijuana because they’ll help them rotate their crops with a crop that is extremely valuable. It also prevents pests, and reduces water and power consumption.
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Not a Gateway
Marijuana is not a “gateway drug”. It’s just cheap and easy to get. A study from 2012 mentions that in Japan, where cannabis isn’t as accessible as it is in the United States, 83.2 percent of users of recreational substances did not use cannabis first.
In fact, the opposite is true.
Recent studies position cannabis as a so-called 'getaway' drug. Cannabis is seen as a substance capable of removing people from the use of hard drugs and playing a substitute role for opioids.
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Unfairly Enforced
Black people are 3.73 times more likely than white people to be arrested for marijuana despite 49% of whites having reported smoking marijuana and only 42% of blacks.
It happens here too
Indiana's racial disparity in arrests is close to the national average, with black people 3.5 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white people.
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Increased Home Values
A study by Clever Real Estate found states with legal marijuana sales experience big boost in home values.
Stronger Communities
At the local level, authors reported: “There’s a notion that dispensaries hurt property values, but the data shows cities in recreational states that have dispensaries report better home-value growth than cities without dispensaries in legal states."
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"Legalizing marijuana would be huge for Indiana. It touches on so many issues. It would be a big win for businesses, a huge win for racial justice, criminal justice reform, environmental justice, it makes our cities safer, it grows rural economies, it saves lives from pills and alcohol... and most people already agree—so it's time we get this done!"