Indiana Marijuana | Medical Marijuana Indiana Indiana Marijuana Info
The Association of Prosecuting Attorneys won’t be helping pass any type of marijuana law reform in Indiana. They say it’s “wrong for Indiana.” They also claim that legalizing medical marijuana will worsen the drug abuse crisis in Indiana.
Going even further, they’re saying that marijuana has no medicinal properties, according to Indy Star. They’re going along with a report from the Institute of Medicine that says “insufficient evidence” in regards to marijuana’s potential healing properties for those with dementia, epilepsy, glaucoma and dozens of other health conditions. Last week, this group composed a letter to Jim McClelland calling on him to “formally oppose the legalization of marijuana in any form, for any purpose”.
The letter reads, in part, “We strongly believe both medical and recreational marijuana legalization are wrong for Indiana. We urge you to take a stand against these policies that would cause further harm to communities already struggling from the devastating effects of drug abuse.”
The group made three points in their letter:
- The prosecutors claim that marijuana increases the risk of opioid abuse and abuse of other controlled substances.
- They say that marijuana is not medicine.
- They claim that legalization has had “devastating effects” in other states.
Recent marijuana-related studies disprove the prosecutors on all counts. Discrimination oftentimes causes people to turn a blind eye.
These prosecutors are so against marijuana that they’ve cited reports (made available on unknown dates) that Washington and Colorado have had an increase in traffic fatalities. The group also touted a National Survey on Drug Use and Health saying that marijuana users miss more work.
What it boils down to is that this group of prosecutors is fighting back against lawmakers and those running for office that support medical marijuana and want it legalized in Indiana. In August, Representative Jim Lucas has hinted at his future efforts to make medical marijuana legal and accessible to people in Indiana.
Lucas isn’t a marijuana expert, but he supports marijuana for medicinal use. He’d be the first Republican in Indiana to even attempt to formally introduce legalization legislation in the last 5-years. Democrats have tried and failed several times in the past.
Lucas said, “I can’t comprehend how we can deny people something that provides them with relief that’s not addictive and is not killing anyone when we know for a fact that prescription opioids are killing people.”
Lucas will be going to Illinois on a “fact-finding trip” later in November. During his visit, he’ll meet with patients, doctors and industry leaders.
Lucas has a lot of opposition among other Republican leaders, including the Senate President Pro Tempore David Long. Other lawmakers believe that legalizing medical marijuana will lead to recreational marijuana legalization and there is not support for that in Indiana yet.
The only option Indiana patients have right now is CBD oil, which is not sufficient for all patients needing an alternative treatment option.
