Indiana Will ‘Have To Address’ Marijuana Legalization Because It’s ‘Lagging’ Behind Neighboring States, Governor Says

The Republican governor of Indiana says the fact that four neighboring
states have moved to legalize marijuana in some form means Hoosiers are
“probably going to have to address” the issue, while also likening cannabis
reform to sports betting.

Lawmakers in the state have already signaled that marijuana legalization
isn’t in the cards in the 2026 session, meaning another year where Indiana
will be an outlier as one of the few remaining states without effective
medical or adult-use cannabis laws. But Gov. Mike Braun (R) said regional
policy developments can’t be ignored.

“I’m kind of agnostic on that issue,” he said on Thursday during a fireside
chat focused on broadband access, “but when you’ve got four states
surrounding you, you’re probably going to have to address it.”

Braun was referring to the fact that three of Indiana’s bordering
states—Illinois, Michigan and Ohio—have moved to legalize adult-use
marijuana, while the fourth, Kentucky, has been implementing a medical
cannabis program.

“I think that kind of analog to all the different ways you can sports bet
or bet in general, which has got a direct connection to high-speed
internet—I’m going to be there listening and probably trying to measure out
the pros and cons and make sure that we’re not the state that’s lagging
most,” the governor said at a Fiber Broadband Association event in
Indianapolis,, as State Affairs reported.

To be sure, there have been some examples of lawmakers linking marijuana
and sports betting, especially in the context of generating revenue by
regulating and taxing the two markets. The tie-in to high-speed internet
access, however, appeared to be an attempt to circle the conversation back
to the main subject matter of the fireside chat.

The governor said in January that he’s “amenable” to the idea of legalizing
medical cannabis in the state, but GOP leadership in the legislature has
balked at the prospect. Instead, Indiana legislators this session have been
focused on efforts to ban hemp THC products—though it seems that fight is
over for 2026 after a last-minute push failed late last month.

Braun has also said that a move by President Donald Trump to federally
reschedule marijuana could add “a little bit of fire” to the local push for
cannabis legalization in his state. Months later, Trump did sign an
executive order directing the attorney general to move cannabis from
Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), but that
hasn’t materialized yet.

Among Indiana residents, however, a survey released in January found that nearly
three in five back legalizing cannabis for medical and recreational use.

Specifically, the annual Hoosier Survey from the Bowen Center at Ball State
University (BSU) 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.


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Braun, for his part, 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.”

*Photo courtesy of Brian Shamblen.*

The post Indiana Will ‘Have To Address’ Marijuana Legalization Because It’s
‘Lagging’ Behind Neighboring States, Governor Says appeared first on Marijuana
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