INDIANAPOLIS – If elected governor, Democrat Jennifer McCormick would work to establish a medical marijuana industry before transitioning to full adult-use cannabis, she said Thursday.
“Across the state, Terry (Goodin) and I are hearing Hoosiers who are ready for Indiana to take this step,” she said in a press conference with reporters. “We’re on an island. All the states around us are … at some level, legalizing marijuana, and have benefited in several ways. And so it is time for Indiana to join in on this policy.”
Three of Indiana’s four neighbors have legalized recreational marijuana — Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio. Kentucky has legalized medical marijuana.
McCormick and running mate Goodin want to start with a “thoughtful” commission to hammer out how legalization would work in Indiana. McCormick asserted that the issue isn’t partisan, as many people have changed their minds on the topic.
It’s the third week in a row that McCormick has laid out a proposal on a specific topic; she has also released plans on education and ethics reform.
GOP gubernatorial nominee Mike Braun told IPBS News in April that he expects some form of legalization in every state within the next decade.
“My key thing would be to get with law enforcement to see what they think, because they’re the ones that are gonna have to spend the time, put their lives on the line,” Braun said.
Libertarian Donald Rainwater, who is also running for governor, supports both medical and recreational legalization.
Democrats and some Republicans have been pushing the General Assembly to legalize for several sessions but many conservative Republicans remain opposed. The Indiana Chamber of Commerce and some law enforcement groups have expressed opposition.
Republicans control both chambers of the legislature.
Read the rest of the Niki Kelly story for the Indiana Capital Chronicle, here.
