GOP leader softening on medical marijuana, but passage in Indiana seems unlikely this year

Republican opposition to legalizing marijuana for medicinal use may be softening.

While it's not likely that such legislation would be approved this year, the Indiana General Assembly this session could edge a little closer to one day legalizing medical marijuana.

Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, has said he intends to introduce legislation that would legalize marijuana for medical use.

And in an unexpected move, House Speaker Brian Bosma, who has stated his opposition to medical marijuana in the past, said that he would be open to at least studying the issue.

“Honestly my opinion about the advisability hasn’t necessarily changed but my opinion as to whether or not we need to study the issue likely has. Our own surgeon general called for a study of the issue," he said. "So I think we need to take a look at the effects and I support a study."

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Bosma added that he expected to see legislation from by a member of his leadership team that would propose doing just that.

Supporters of medical marijuana, however, say they need no more evidence to persuade them that Indiana, following on the heels of 29 other states before it, should legalize marijuana for medical use.

The legislation that Lucas plans to propose delineates the process for those who would grow the marijuana, those who would dispense it, and the physicians who would prescribe it to people suffering from "serious medical conditions."

"It's a simple straight-forward bill," said Bobbie Jo Young, president and chief executive officer of IndyCann, a local group that lobbies for medical marijuana and the rights of the terminally ill. "This bill encompasses the best of the best of the 29 states."

One aspect of the bill stands out, however, said Young, who has been working on this issue for more than a decade. In other states, people who have cards allowing them to use medical marijuana cannot own guns.

The legislation from Lucas, who is a staunch supporter of gun owner rights, would protect the gun rights of people who use medical marijuana.

"The right to carry is new and unique," Young said. "If you're prescribed Xanax you don't lose your gun rights. ... We are treating cannabis just like any other medication."

Lucas said in a post to constituents that he became interested in medical marijuana in the wake of the flap over whether CBD oil, which contains cannabinoids, should be considered legal in Indiana. The ravages of the opioid epidemic also contributed to his interest in legalizing marijuana, he said .

As Lucas researched the issue, he learned that states that allow medical marijuana have seen a 25 to 50 percent reduction in overdose deaths. Marijuana, by contrast, does not lead to overdosing and death.

"I understand this is a controversial issue, but once people learn the facts and get away from the fear mongering, I am convinced this will offer a better quality of life to thousands of Hoosiers," Lucas said.

While other lawmakers have filed similar legislation in the past, Lucas is the first Republican in at least five years to come out in support of medical marijuana. The bills that Democrats have filed have not even made it to a hearing in the Republican-controlled General Assembly.

It is not clear whether Lucas's bill could meet with a different fate.

When asked Wednesday about the legislation's prospects, Bosma demurred.

“Oh it’s too early for any of that," he said. "If one of the leaders carries it, it has a better chance of having a hearing.”

But IndyCann's Young said that she thinks the time is ripe for the legislature to pass such a measure.

"It would be foolish of me to say that anything is a shoo-in win in this statehouse. I do believe this is the best opportunity," she said. "If this bill doesn't go through, I don't think some people will sit in the statehouse."

Legalizing marijuana, however, has some other strong opponents, among them Gov. Eric Holcomb and Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill. The Association of Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys has also come out against the idea of legalizing marijuana, saying the move would be "wrong for Indiana."

Call IndyStar reporter Shari Rudavsky at (317) 444-6354. Follow her on Twitter and on Facebook.