Indiana state senator working to legalize medical marijuana

State Sen. Mike Bohacek (R-Michiana Shores) has begun work on 2027 legislation that would legalize medical marijuana in Indiana.

"In light of the governor's openness to consider legislation regarding the legalization of marijuana, we need to consider a feasible marijuana policy that would be the most helpful to Hoosiers and the economy," Bohacek said. "The use of medical marijuana has been proven to be beneficial for some medical disorders and could help people throughout the state who are suffering find some relief."

Bohacek is currently planning to work on legislation that would legalize medical marijuana, create parameters for use in a medical capacity, and establish a tax rate and policy for the sale and distribution of medical marijuana.

This proposed legislation comes after the federal government's recent reclassification of state-licensed medical marijuana as a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act. Schedule III drugs are substances with a moderate to low potential for physical dependance and a high potential for psychological dependence and have accepted medical uses. Examples include ketamine, anabolic steroids and Tylenol with codeine.

"I intend to include plenty of parameters around the implementation and use of medical marijuana to ensure it's being properly regulated and distributed by Hoosier healthcare professionals," Bohacek said. "There are plenty of benefits medical marijuana can have, not only in a healthcare capacity, but also on our economy. Indiana has already allowed the sale of delta-8 THC and other similar cannabinoids, so creating a tax policy is a logical next step in expanding the use of THC products. There is potential to bring in millions of dollars in tax revenue every year."

Bohacek’s legislation would also update the state impairment laws, establishing a blood concentration that would define impairment and creating trainings needed for law enforcement to identify impairment by THC.

"While the legislation I plan to propose would legalize the use of medical marijuana, it would not take away from the safety standards that would need to be established to keep Hoosiers safe," Bohacek said. "This proposed legislation would not legalize the use of recreational marijuana. Many of our state's current laws regarding the use of marijuana would remain in place, with some adjustments to account for those who may have medical exemptions. This is why I am also working on legislation that would adjust the state impairment laws for those who would use medical marijuana."