Marijuana in Indiana: Battle lines drawn for 2018 legislative session

Indiana has been back and forth this year when it comes to medical marijuana. The state legalized CBD oil for certain epilepsy patients earlier this year only to have law enforcement and regulators go back on their decision and confuse the entire state. Now there are multiple bills that have been proposed for debate in the next legislative session taking place in January. While there are both groups supporting and opposing the cause, the primary issue is clarifying the laws currently in place and establishing how limited the medical marijuana program will truly be. The opposition is upset that CBD ice cream and candy has been proposed, but the supporters are concerned about real problems like if veterans with PTSD and other illnesses will have access to potentially life-saving medical marijuana. Next month will hopefully lead to some answers.

Hoosier Veterans for Medical cannabis leader Jeff Staker says he’s hopeful that the bills will be discussed in committee because he believes marijuana saves lives.

“If we do nothing and stay idle, more veterans are going to die,” said Staker.

He believes medical cannabis helps those who suffer from PTSD and can be a safe alternative to opioids for veterans who have long-term chronic pain.

The battle is expected to begin next month when the legislative session gets underway.