Lawmakers hear views on Indiana's marijuana laws

Source: IndyStar

State Sen. Karen Tallian, D-Ogden Dunes, who was troubled by the amount of money and time the judicial system spends on marijuana-related cases, called for the hearing earlier this year.

"As a state legislature, we should look at our reasons for banning marijuana," Tallian said. "Are we trying to punish people or are we trying to prevent something?"

"There is a rare consensus among economists of every political persuasion that legalization plus taxation would be such a policy that could work," said Marc Bilodeau, an associate professor of economics at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

Indiana is considered to have some of the country's strictest laws against marijuana possession, specifically in small doses. Possession of 1 ounce of marijuana can lead to a maximum sentence of one year and a maximum fine of $5,000.

Read more: http://www.indystar.com/article/20110729/NEWS02/107290332/Lawmakers-hear-views-Indiana-s-marijuana-laws?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|IndyStar.com

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This is who they'll listen to when making a decision though:

"We're not for legalizing marijuana, even if it's for medical reasons, because marijuana is very addictive," said Pastor Sarah Barbour, who started the Indianapolis organization five years ago. "We believe that healing comes through God and through holistic means, rather than through marijuana."

http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4516
F A I L.

The state rep in question seems to be advocating a reform, and reducing penalties, which certainly seems like a step towards de-criminalization.

That said, I fear they will listen to the idiot in question... who support this guy's push to lessen penalties.

like claiming that abortions cause cancer, the claim that cannabis is very addictive is another lie pulled out of their collective arses.

I don't know if Indiana has enough reality-based republicans to do the right thing, but it would be nice if they did.

WTF!

Talk about equating two totally unrelated drugs.
Meth is lethal, pot is not.
Meth is addictive, pot is not.
Meth is dangerous to make, pot is not.
Meth is made of toxic compounds, pot is not.
The list goes on.
Constantly conflating Pot with any other highly addictive/potentially lethal drug is disingenuous at best.

They could call it MATEATMIPFP.

I mean seriously, Marijuana and Meth!?

How about Coffee and Cocaine?

I wonder which PTB string pullers came up with this kind of shit?

If anything the insane and dysfunctional "War Against Drugs" particularly Cannabis, led to the creation of Meth and make no doubt about it other Frankenstein drug creations will come down the pipe as a result of our asinine drug policies.

Thanks for the thread, bloomington-lib.

...that Indiana sucks the wad big-time. This is not to castigate every Hoosier, but, definately the majority. They need to get this "God" mentality behind them particularly where the god healing interferes with ANY other healing (eg stem cell). I would look at them as being nuts.

However, there were some really sweet coeds at Purdue.
Compassionate and hard working young women