Indiana House Rejects Amendment To Let Farmers Begin Cultivating Marijuana Seeds

The Indiana House of Representatives defeated an amendment aimed at
allowing farmers to begin growing marijuana.

The amendment, from Rep. Kyle Miller (D), would have directed the state
chemist and seed commissioner to issue special use permits to between three
and 10 farmers for the cultivation of marijuana seed, with geographic
distribution requirements.

While Miller framed the proposal as a way to prepare the state for federal
marijuana rescheduling under a recent order from President Donald Trump, it
was defeated in a voice vote on Thursday.

“While this part of the chapter is open, we should get prepared for what
Donald Trump, through his executive order, has asked—to reschedule
marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III,” the lawmaker said. “The
longer we stick our heads in the sand, we’re hurting our farmers, we’re
hurting our constituents. We need to move forward on this issue.”

Rep. Mike Aylesworth (R), the sponsor of the bill about state seed law,
that Miller was seeking to amend, spoke against the proposed change.

“The Indiana criminal code prohibits the possession of marijuana seeds that
are capable of germination. This amendment seeks to allow the state seed
commissioner to offer permits to farmers for an action that is currently
illegal in Indiana,” he said, according to The Times of Northwest Indiana.
“The amendment does not alter the criminal code and thus creates a
statutory conflict.”

A poll released this month shows that nearly three in five Indiana
residents back legalizing cannabis for medical and recreational use.

It found that 59 percent of residents are in favor of legalizing cannabis
for both medical and recreational purposes. An additional 25 percent back
only allowing patients to access medical marijuana, raising the total
support for that reform to 84 percent.

The survey was released just days after Indiana Rep. Mitch Gore (D) filed
legislation that would effectively legalize the possession and cultivation
of limited amounts of marijuana. It’s one of several reform options on the
table so far in the legislature for this year’s session.

Cannabis reform advocates have generally struggled to make inroads in the
conservative legislature over recent years.

That said, the state’s GOP governor said recently that Trump’s move to
federally reschedule marijuana could add “a little bit of fire” to the
local push for cannabis legalization in his state.

Gov. Mike Braun (R) also said last year that he’s “amenable” to medical
cannabis legalization.


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Braun previously said that “it’s probably time” to allow access to
therapeutic cannabis among patients in the state. Those comments came
alongside a separate poll indicating that nearly 9 in 10 Indiana adults (87
percent) support marijuana legalization.

Top Republicans in the legislature, however, have openly opposed marijuana
reform.

“It’s no secret that I am not for this,” Senate President Pro Tem Rodric
Bray (R) said in late 2024. “I don’t have people coming to me with really
compelling medical cases as to why it’s so beneficial. And any state that
I’ve seen pass medical marijuana is essentially passing recreational
marijuana.”

House Speaker Todd Huston (R) doubted any medical benefits associated with
marijuana, calling the substance “a deterrent to mental health.” He and
others suggested that lawmakers supportive of the reform merely want to
boost state revenue.

A number of marijuana reform bills were introduced for the Indiana
legislature’s 2025 session, including one—from Reps. Jim Lucas (R) and
Shane Lindauer (R)—that would have legalized medical marijuana for people
with “serious medical conditions as determined by their physician.”

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Marijuana Seeds appeared first on Marijuana Moment.