State of Indiana Archives: on Drugs
Andrew Straw:
Marijuana is a medicine and nutritious
Q: Do you agree or disagree with the statement, "Marijuana is a gateway drug"?
A: Strongly oppose this idea. Support marijuana. Marijuana is a medicine and nutritious. It should be legal for all purposes and sold behind the counter in grocery stores, next to the tobacco.
Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Indiana Senate candidate
Feb 28, 2018
Brian Bosma:
Decriminalize marijuana; but no medicinal marijuana
Q: Do you support decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana?A: Yes.
Q: Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?
A: Yes.
Q: Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges?
A: No.
Q: Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes?
A: No.
Source: Indiana Gubernatorial 2012 PVS Political Courage Test
Nov 1, 2012
Brian Bosma:
Decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana
Q: Do you support decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana?A: Yes.
Q: Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?
A: Yes.
Source: 2012 Indiana State Legislative PVS Political Courage Test
Nov 1, 2012
Eddie Melton:
Legalize and regulate medical & recreational cannabis
Legalizing medical cannabis is a part of the Indiana Senate Democratic Caucus' 2019 legislative agenda. Last month, Indiana Senate Democrats--led by Sen. Eddie Melton--unveiled their priorities for the new year, which included proposing legislation to
legalize medical cannabis.One bill would establish a Cannabis Compliance Commission, [to] oversee state regulation of the sale, use, or consumption of cannabis. The other bill would legalize recreational marijuana possession of less than 2 ounces
Source: Indianapolis NUVO on 2020 Indiana gubernatorial race
Dec 19, 2018
Eddie Melton:
Allow some level of marijuana use, and recreational sales
Marijuana legalization looms as a likely campaign issue for the 2020 statewide elections. The three Democrats seeking to challenge Holcomb's reelection bid--state
Sen. Eddie Melton of Gary, former state health commissioner Woody Myers and tech business executive Josh Owens--all support allowing some level of marijuana use, although Myers opposes recreational sales.
Source: Associated Press on WGN-TV on 2020 Indiana governor race
Dec 14, 2019
Eric Holcomb:
Attack epidemic with prevention, treatment & enforcement
My fourth pillar [for economic growth] is to attack the drug epidemic. This is a problem that is taking an enormous toll across the country, and Indiana has not escaped the pain. Since the year 2000, deaths from drug overdoses have increased 500%, and
we are 15th in the country in overdose fatalities. This epidemic causes ripple effects with devastating impacts on our children and families, our cities and towns, our schools and government agencies, our health care system and health care costs for
each of us, and our economy.But we need to do more, much more. So we're going to attack this problem on all fronts: prevention, treatment and enforcement. We plan to limit the amount of controlled substances, prescriptions and refills, enhance
penalties for those who commit pharmacy robberies, and upgrade the Indiana State Police labs to fight the drug epidemic. This is a fight we can and we must win if we're going to take Indiana to the next level.
Source: 2017 State of the State address to Indiana Legislature
Jan 17, 2017
John Gregg:
Needle exchange helps stop HIV virus
Officials report the HIV outbreak has mainly been fueled by individuals sharing needles used to inject prescription painkillers. John Gregg finds Gov. Pence's initial hesitation to address the issue troublesome. Pence signed legislation in May which
allowed the installation of a needle-exchange program, but by that time, the number of infected people already had reached 150."You know, that's asinine," Gregg said. "I mean, we've got to realize there's a drug problem.
And to say that we would not do a needle exchange, that's irresponsible. They're going to be using the drugs, and we might as well see to it that that's a great way to stop the HIV virus.
His attitude on that is akin to people who don't want to talk about sex education because if we don't talk about it, then, you know, the kids won't be procreating. I mean, how do you think we all got here?"
Source: Kokomo Tribune on 2016 Indiana Gubernatorial race
Sep 24, 2015
John Gregg:
Legalize the medicinal use of marijuana
The issue of legalizing the medicinal use of marijuana is close to Gregg's heart. He lost his father Donald about a year ago to cancer of the esophagus, an ailment which eventually metastasized into his brain. The last year of Donald's life was spent in
hospice care, where the agony of cancer severely limited his ability to enjoy his time left with loved ones. Although it was not, marijuana should've been part of his father's pain treatment, should Donald have wanted it, Gregg said."If a doctor would
have told me that's something you need to consider, why shouldn't we have?" Gregg asked. "I mean, my dad had lived 80-plus years, and his quality of life his last few weeks of life was not good. And there are some people with chronic illnesses that
it helps. We've got a lot of young men coming back from overseas with PTSD. That's the crime. We send these young people over there to fight and make our world safer because of terrorism, and they come back with issues."
Source: Kokomo Tribune on 2016 Indiana Gubernatorial race
Sep 24, 2015
John Gregg:
Decriminalize marijuana; that's different than legalizing
On the issue of decriminalization, Gregg vowed, if elected, his administration would study the penalties on the low end of the issue, like possession of small amounts. "What I would want to stress to people is decriminalization does not
mean legalization," he said. "Not everyone remembers that or realizes that. I would imagine if we went over to the
Howard County Jail, we'd find the citizens of Howard County are paying their precious tax dollars to keep some kid in there who had a joint or two. I realize that it's against the law, but the fact of the matter is,
I want my law enforcement in Indiana to look at child abusers and rapists and murderers and people who do armed robbery in stores and homes."
Source: Kokomo Tribune on 2016 Indiana Gubernatorial race
Sep 24, 2015
John Gregg:
Focus on serious crimes, not minor drug offenses
I would imagine if we went over to the Howard County Jail, we'd find ... the citizens of Howard County are paying tax dollars to keep some kid in there who had a joint or two.
I realize that it's against the law, but the fact of the matter is, I want my law enforcement in Indiana to look at child abusers and rapists and murderers and people who do armed robbery in stores and homes.
Source: Kokomo Tribune on 2016 Indiana gubernatorial race
Sep 24, 2015
John Gregg:
Study medical marijuana legalization before legalizing
In late March 2013, in response to Gov. Pence's criticism of legislation that rewrites Indiana's criminal code to lower drug penalties, a Senate committee amended the criminal code reform bill to make punishment for marijuana crimes tougher than
the legislation's Republican authors had originally proposed. House Bill 1006 supporters say the intent of the bill is divert drug users out of state prisons and into treatment programs, while reserving the prisons for the worst offenders.
Pence waited till mid-March to weigh in on House Bill 1006 and did so at a press briefing with TV and radio reporters, telling them, "I think we need to focus on reducing crime, not reducing penalties."During a 2012 gubernatorial debate in
Zionsville, Gov. Mike Pence said he opposed any marijuana law reforms and viewed marijuana as a "gateway" drug. His Democrat opponent John Gregg generally agreed, but added that medical marijuana would be worth studying.
Source: Howey politics on 2016 Indiana gubernatorial race
Jan 2, 2014
Mark Hurt:
Tougher penalties on those dealing drugs
Hurt sees the flow of heroin and illegal drugs into the US as a major national security problem. Heroin laced with fentanyl is tearing at the fabric of our society. Cartel chemists create potent drugs that lead to death; addiction & lack of self-control
is destroying the nuclear family & leading to an increased number of grandparents who must serve as guardians for parentless grandchildren, while working multiple jobs. Tougher penalties on those dealing drugs would help to ameliorate this problem.
Source: 2018 Indiana Senate race website, MarkHurt.org
Mar 3, 2017
Mark Hurt:
Crack down on drug dealers
Hurt sees the flow of heroin and illegal drugs into the United States as a major national security problem. Heroin laced with fentanyl is tearing at the fabric of our society.
Cartel chemists create potent drugs that lead to death, addiction and a lack of self-control is destroying the nuclear family. Tougher penalties on those dealing drugs would help to ameliorate this problem.
Source: 2018 Indiana Senatorial website MarkHurt.com
Oct 15, 2017
Mike Braun:
Marijuana use is about freedom of choice
Marijuana: Legalize or decriminalize marijuana?Braun: Supports medical use, framing issue in terms of "free markets & freedom of choice" for patients.
Donnelly: Open to medical, no for now to recreational use, though hasn't ruled out. Backs researching marijuana to treat veterans for PTSD & pain.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Indiana Senate race
Nov 1, 2018
Mike Pence:
Signed legislation allowing needle exchange
Officials report the HIV outbreak has mainly been fueled by individuals sharing needles used to inject prescription painkillers. John Gregg finds Gov. Pence's initial hesitation to address the issue troublesome. Pence signed legislation in May which
allowed the installation of a needle-exchange program, but by that time, the number of infected people already had reached 150."You know, that's asinine," Gregg said. "I mean, we've got to realize there's a drug problem.
And to say that we would not do a needle exchange, that's irresponsible. They're going to be using the drugs, and we might as well see to it that that's a great way to stop the HIV virus.
His attitude on that is akin to people who don't want to talk about sex education because if we don't talk about it, then, you know, the kids won't be procreating. I mean, how do you think we all got here?"
Source: Kokomo Tribune on 2016 Indiana Gubernatorial race
Sep 24, 2015
Mike Pence:
Confront the growing epidemic of drug abuse
We must support new ways to confront the growing epidemic of drug abuse and addiction. Let's pass stiffer penalties on those who sell these poisons to our kids. But we cannot just arrest our way out of this problem. We have to make
sure families have more options for treatments. Two new laws will help: Aaron's Law allows healthcare providers to make an antidote for opioid overdoses available, and The Jennifer Act allows Medicaid to cover inpatient detoxification.
Source: 2016 State of the State speech to Indiana legislature
Jan 12, 2016
Mike Pence:
Indiana will be tough on narcotics and drug dealers
Mike Pence is questioning legislation that dramatically decreases penalties involving pot, even for entry-level drug offenses. Pence has questioned if that's the right move. "I think this legislation, as it
moves forward, should still seek to continue to send a way strong message to the people of Indiana and particularly to those who would come into our state to deal drugs, that we are tough and we're going to stay tough on narcotics.
Source: Indiana Economic Digest on 2016 Indiana gubernatorial race
Jul 16, 2016
Mike Pence:
Do not legalize: pot is a gateway drug
In late March 2013, in response to Gov. Pence's criticism of legislation that rewrites Indiana's criminal code to lower drug penalties, a Senate committee amended the criminal code reform bill to make punishment for marijuana crimes tougher than
the legislation's Republican authors had originally proposed. House Bill 1006 supporters say the intent of the bill is divert drug users out of state prisons and into treatment programs, while reserving the prisons for the worst offenders.
Pence waited till mid-March to weigh in on House Bill 1006 and did so at a press briefing with TV and radio reporters, telling them, "I think we need to focus on reducing crime, not reducing penalties."During a 2012 gubernatorial debate in
Zionsville, Gov. Mike Pence said he opposed any marijuana law reforms and viewed marijuana as a "gateway" drug. His Democrat opponent John Gregg generally agreed, but added that medical marijuana would be worth studying.
Source: Howey politics on 2016 Indiana gubernatorial race
Sep 8, 2015
Pete Buttigieg:
Marijuana is personal responsibility issue; move to legalize
Buttigieg says the U.S. should be working towards legalizing recreational marijuana, because of all the problems associated with current marijuana policy. This should be more of a personal responsibility issue, he argues. "You look at rates of
incarceration, you look at the racial disparity that is attached to whether somebody is likely to experience incarceration as a consequence of a non-violent drug offense and all of it points us in the same direction," Buttigieg said.
Source: Indianapolis Star on 2020 presidential hopefuls
May 6, 2019
Thomas McDermott:
Time for the federal government to legalize marijuana
Dude, its 2022! Across America, millions of Americans use marijuana to help in the treatment of epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, seizures, Crohn's disease, Alzheimer's and cancer. It's become very clear that we are on the way to full legalization in
most of the country, with 13 states already making marijuana a legal substance and others having decriminalized it. It's time the federal government recognize that marijuana should be legal.
Source: 2022 Indiana Senate campaign website GoMcDermott.com
May 8, 2022
Thomas McDermott:
AdWatch: lights up a joint and inhales
McDermott has released a campaign ad that sees him walk the extra mile in advocating for the legalization of marijuana. In the ad, McDermott doesn't just talk about why he supports legalizing weed; he actually smokes a joint. "The legalization of
cannabis is important in this campaign," McDermott says in the video after lighting up the joint and inhaling. The video was filmed in Illinois, where marijuana has been legalized.
Source: WRTV AdWatch on 2022 Indiana Senate race
Apr 20, 2022
Woody Myers:
Allow some level of marijuana use; not recreational sales
Marijuana legalization looms as a likely campaign issue for the 2020 statewide elections. The three Democrats seeking to challenge Holcomb's reelection bid--state
Sen. Eddie Melton of Gary, former state health commissioner Woody Myers and tech business executive Josh Owens--all support allowing some level of marijuana use, although Myers opposes recreational sales.
Source: Associated Press on WGN-TV on 2020 Indiana governor race
Dec 14, 2019
Marc Carmichael:
Will push to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule 3 drug
Will push for marijuana to be reclassified at the federal level from a Schedule 1 drug to a Schedule 3. [OnTheIssues explanation: Schedule 1 refers to drugs such as heroin, LSD, and currently marijuana, defined as having "no currently acceptable
medical use and a high potential for abuse." Schedule 3 drugs are still "controlled substances," such as Tylenol with Codeine. The result of reclassification would be to reduce penalties for marijuana possession.]
Source: 2024 Indiana Senate campaign website MarcForIndiana.com
Sep 11, 2023
Suzanne Crouch:
Hemp offers our farmers another source of income
Hemp is extremely important in Indiana because it offers our farmers another source of income. The challenge is to be sure that we have markets.
It's been exciting to see a $10 million plant open in Westfield. We will continue to work with ISDA to ensure farmers have markets for hemp.
Source: Farm Progress on 2024 Indiana Gubernatorial race
Sep 17, 2020
Eric Doden:
For strongest sentencing guidelines for fentanyl crimes
I believe we have to protect the vulnerable and that means supporting all measures that stop the flow of fentanyl into Indiana homes, towns, and communities.A Doden
Administration will devote agency leadership and resources specifically to caring for individuals and families suffering from addiction. I support the strongest sentencing guidelines possible for those convicted of importing or distributing fentanyl.
Source: 2024 Indiana Governor campaign website DodenForIndiana.com
Dec 15, 2023
Jennifer McCormick:
Indiana should have a legal, well-regulated cannabis market
[On marijuana]: "It is time Indiana listened to the majority of Hoosiers and developed a legal, well-regulated cannabis market," said McCormick. "This opportunity would boost our economy by welcoming an industry proven to add millions to the state
budget--just as 37 other states have demonstrated. Legalizing medical marijuana would be the first step. Indiana must take this even further by passing legislation decriminalizing marijuana to support impacted Hoosiers and the criminal justice system."
Source: Indianapolis Star on 2024 Indiana Gubernatorial race
Nov 20, 2023
Curtis Hill:
Legalizing marijuana is a road to nowhere good
Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill wasn't shy to share his opinion on legalizing marijuana in the state after writing a letter claiming that it would make the opioid crisis worse. "In
Indiana, we would do well to pay heed to the experience of Colorado and other states stumbling into the same mistakes. Legalizing marijuana is a road to nowhere good."
Source: CBS4 Indy on 2024 Indiana Gubernatorial race
Nov 9, 2017
Jim Banks:
Rated C- by NORML: reduce pot penalties, but don't legalize
NORML Politician Info: rated C-- Candidate: Jim Banks (R-IN): Holds office US House District 3; Candidate for US Senate
- Summary: Voted in favor of reducing the penalty for cannabis possession in State
Senate (2013)
- Co-sponsored Legislation:
- H.R.2684:Clean State Act (2021)
- H.R.1595: SAFE Banking Act (2019)
- Comments: Strongly disagrees that marijuana should be legalized and regulated like tobacco & alcohol
Source: NORML "Smoke the Vote" on 2024 Indiana Senate race
Aug 8, 2024
Mike Braun:
Rated B by NORML: marijuana is a state issue
NORML Politician Info: rated C - Candidate: Mike Braun (R - IN): Holds office U.S. Senate; Candidate in race for Governor on Tuesday, November 5, 2024
- Position on Marijuana Legalization: Senator Braun
has not spoken out in favor of legalization in his state or federally. When asked about his position on marijuana legalization, Braun did not give a comment directly on his position, but rather stated, "that's going to be up to the next generation to
decide."
- Comments:
- "Braun voiced support for medical marijuana during the debate, casting the issue in terms of 'free markets and freedom of choice' for patients." (2/21/2018)
- "I believe more government is not the answer to our
problems, and the decision to allow medicinal cannabis should be left to the states." (9/27/2018)
- "I believe when it comes to medical marijuana, there are too many good reasons why you need to start making that legal for that purpose." (8/13/19)
Source: NORML "Smoke the Vote" on 2024 Indiana Gubernatorial race
Aug 8, 2024
Suzanne Crouch:
Rated D by NORML: let farmers grow hemp
NORML Politician Info: rated D - Candidate: Suzanne Crouch (R - IN): Holds office Lieutenant Governor
- Comments: "Hemp is extremely important in Indiana because it offers our farmers another source of
income. The challenge is to be sure that we have markets. It's been exciting to see a $10 million plant open in Westfield. We will continue to work with ISDA to ensure farmers have markets for hemp." (9/17/20)
Source: NORML "Smoke the Vote" on 2024 Indiana Gubernatorial race
Aug 8, 2024
Page last updated: Feb 07, 2026