Will marijuana laws change this year in Indiana? These bills have been introduced.

Brittany Carloni and Jenny Porter Tilley, Indianapolis Star
·3 min read

Indiana lawmakers from both parties again filed bills this year aimed at legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana, but Republican leaders say there is no hope for progress on legislation in 2024.

"Are we going to legalize cannabis this session? That's not going to be the case," Senate Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, told reporters Tuesday.

Marijuana over the last several years has become an annual topic during the legislative session. Lawmakers file bills every session that later die without seeing much debate.

Much of this comes down to the positions of Republican leaders. Gov. Eric Holcomb has long said he would not support marijuana legalization until it is dealt with at the federal level. Bray and House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, both said in November they did not expect the issue to advance in their chambers in 2024.

Last year, 13 bills related to legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana died in the Indiana legislative session. The only one that even got a hearing would have decriminalized possession of up to two ounces of marijuana.

Meanwhile, Ohio voters decided in November to legalize recreational marijuana. That leaves three states bordering Indiana — Ohio, Illinois and Michigan — where recreational marijuana is legal.

Here are the marijuana-related bills filed so far. The deadline for House bills is 2 p.m. Thursday.

Indiana Senate Bill 99: Cannabis regulation

Senate Bill 99 would legalize use of cannabis by people 21 and older, or those with a medical condition. It also sets forth additional taxes and regulations and an overseeing agency for cannabis in Indiana.

Sen. Rodney Pol, D-Chesterton, authored SB 99. Read the full text of the introduced bill here.

Indiana Senate Bill 107: Cannabis regulation

Senate Bill 107 also outlines an extensive plan for regulating cannabis in Indiana, with a focus on its lawful production and sale.

The bill was authored by Sen. David Niezgodski, D-South Bend. Read the full text of the introduced bill here.

Indiana Senate Bill 126: Medical cannabis

Senate Bill 126 would establish a medical marijuana program in Indiana. It would permit patients with a physician recommendation and their caregivers to possess a certain quantity of marijuana.

The bill was authored by Sen. Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis. Read the full text of the introduced bill here.

HB 1146: Medical marijuana

The Indiana House also has a bill on the docket this year about medical marijuana. It would require the state health department to enforce the program and includes additional regulations for permit holders and regarding proper labeling and child resistant packaging.

Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, authored the House bill. Read the full text of the introduced bill here.

HB 1349: Decriminalizing marijuana

Also in the house, this bill would decriminalize the possession of two ounces or less of marijuana.

Its author is Rep. Heath VanNatter, R-Frankfort, with coauthors Rep. Steve Bartels, R-Eckerty; and Rep Jake Teshka, R-South Bend. Read the full text of the introduced bill here.

HB 1282: Cannabis regulation

House Bill 1282 sets up guidelines for production and sale of marijuana in Indiana, including establishing a cannabis excise tax.

Rep. Blake Johnson, D-Indianapolis, authored House Bill 1282. Read the full text of the bill here.

Bills in the Indiana Statehouse about craft hemp flower

A pair of bills, one in the House and one in the Senate, address hemp for manufacturing purposes.

Indiana Senate Bill 59 establishes regulatory and packaging requirements for sale and distribution and bans possession of craft hemp flower without a license. Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle, authored the bill. Read the full text of the introduced version here.

A bipartisan bill in the House includes similar regulations for use of industrial hemp and would repeal an existing law that makes "dealing in smokable hemp" a Class A misdemeanor.

Rep. Jake Teshka, R-North Liberty, authored the bill, with co-authors Rep. Ethan Manning, R-Logansport; Rep. Steven Bartels, R-Eckerty; and Rep. Ryan Hatfield, D-Evansville. Read the full text of the introduced version here.

IndyStar reporter Kayla Dwyer contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: These 2024 bills in Indiana General Assembly address marijuana laws