Possessing any amount of recreational pot will incarcerate you in this Midwestern U.S. state. Ironically, Indiana is almost surrounded by legal weed, with Illinois and Michigan joining Ohio, which legalized medical marijuana in 2016.
The following passages will elaborate on the marijuana and CBD laws of Indiana.
Marijuana in Indiana
You are not allowed to smoke pot in the Hoosier State. The crop is classified as Schedule I drug and possessing any quantity carries jail time. Also, any amount above 30 grams with an intent to distribute established is a felony punishable by up to 6 years and a $10,000 fine.
Moreover, affairs do not look rosy on the legislative front either. The proposed Senate Bill 213 (recreational use) and Senate Bill 357 (medical use) didn’t even get a review by the Senate Committee in the 2019 General Assembly.
On a different note, there’s the First Church of Cannabis Indiana, founded by Bill Levin in 2005. It’s a marijuana-based registered church located in a jurisdiction where cannabis is banned but is actually shielded under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The Church has a list of 12 commandments called as the Deity Dozen. IRS acknowledges them as a non-profit organization.
Medical Marijuana
As of early 2019, medically prescribed weed is only available for individuals suffering from debilitating epileptic conditions, including Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Also, there’s a cannabis tax stamp law in the Hoosier State requiring you to put state-issued stamps on your drugs. A failure to do will result in a fine or criminal sanction.
Nonetheless, the anti-marijuana stance is softening at the state level. Governor Eric Holcomb, who until last year was publicly opposed to legalizing cannabis in any form is now “open-minded” to the concept of medicinal marijuana. However, the 51st Governor of Indiana prefers to wait until the nationwide ban is overturned or at least more in-depth research is conducted into marijuana benefits and drawbacks.
CBD Oil Laws in Indiana
In 2018 Gov. Eric Holcomb signed Senate Bill 52 to legalize the use and retail of low THC hemp products in Indiana, provided they contain up to 3% THC content. Manufacturers can ply their CBD trade as long as the goods are meeting the state packaging and testing requirements, which certify the extraction of the product from industrial hemp and not marijuana.
Five years earlier, the statewide enactment of Senate Bill 357 authorized farmers to cultivate and process commercial hemp commercially. Now, the promulgation of 2018 United States farm bill is expected to further streamline hemp production across Indiana.
Conclusion
You cannot smoke pot in Indiana, despite the state being surrounded by legal weed, with Illinois and Michigan joining Ohio to legalize some form of marijuana. Also, possessing any amount above 30 grams with an intent to distribute established will put you away for 6 years. Moreover, there’s no established medical marijuana dispensary program, and the proposed SB 213 (recreational) and SB 357 (medical) weren’t even reviewed at the 2019 General Assembly.
Nonetheless, the state is geared up for a hemp revolution with the approval of Senate Bill 52 to legalize the use and retail of low THC hemp products in Indiana.
