Some Indiana lawmakers are working to introduce legislation that would legalize marijuana. Earlier this week, the Indiana Democratic Party called for medical and recreational marijuana to be legalized in the Hoosier State. Jeff Staker and his organization Hoosier Veterans for Medical Cannabis have advocated for medicinal marijuana use for the past five years. “They don’t want to feel like criminals,” Staker said. Staker said he launched the organization after he began considering medical marijuana instead of oxycodone to manage his chronic back pain. He knows some fellow veterans who go across state lines to obtain medicinal cannabis, he added. “People are benefiting from it, and Indiana can do this in a safe and reliable way,” Staker said. Southern Michigan marijuana dispensaries say more than half of customers are Hoosiers So far, 36 states allow medicinal marijuana use and 18 states permit non-medical use, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. State Sen. J.D. Ford (D-Indianapolis) said he’s working on a medical marijuana bill modeled after a law passed in Alabama. “We can and have the opportunity to show Hoosiers that we’re moving forward and really fighting for issues that they want to see us take up,” State Sen. Ford said. Many Republican state lawmakers remain opposed to any form of marijuana legalization.
Mmp News Author, Medical Marijuana Program Connection, 11/17/2021 22:29:00