Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Medical Marijuana Debate Killed (Again) In Senate

David Trawin
/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/trawin/4473997946

The Senate has snuffed out another attempt to open the door to medical marijuana in Indiana.

Sen. Karen Tallian (D-Portage) has authored bills in past years to decriminalize pot or allow medical marijuana use.

This time, she tried instead to allow people with valid prescriptions from other states to use that as a defense against a possession charge.

Tallian says legislators have created a catch-22 on medical marijuana.

“I’ve been told that there’s not enough research out there to determine that marijuana or cannabis has proven medical benefits,” Tallian says. “But as a nation, we have done that to ourselves. We have made research all but illegal.”

Sen. Brent Waltz (R-Greenwood) notes there's no similar shield against prosecution for carrying a gun licensed in Indiana into a state which doesn't recognize Indiana permits.

And Sen. Mike Young (R-Indianapolis) says there's no way to ensure other states meet Indiana standards for who can write prescriptions, nor for who's entitled to one.

“We know what this is,” Young says. “It’s just a pure attempt to go around the law and degrade our system of watching over our medical personnel to ensure that they’re following the laws.”

Related Content