When it comes to legalizing marijuana, one possible Democratic candidate for Governor says while he can support medicinal marijuana as well as decriminalization, he’s not sold on recreational use.
Former State Health Commissioner Dr. Woody Myers stated his position following an inquiry from Indy Politics.
Myers is exploring a run for Governor. Two possible challengers for the Democratic nomination, State Senator Eddie Melton and State Representative Karlee Macer have come out and supported some form of legalization.
Meanwhile, Governor Eric Holcomb supports studying the medical benefits of marijuana if it is ever legalized at the federal level.
You can see Myers’ full statement to Indy Politics below.
While I favor appropriate medical use of products containing a known dosage of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), our medical community, legislature and policy makers should be thoughtful and should examine the experience of other states when considering new legislation and rulemaking. I do favor the decriminalization of the possession of THC containing products for personal use- our law-enforcement officials have higher priorities and there is great evidence nationally of disproportionate sentencing in disenfranchised populations.
I am not convinced that full recreational legalization of THC containing products is a wise move in and for Indiana. Those who believe there are no potentially serious clinical effects for some patients are simply wrong. And even if a new law creates a minimum purchase age of 21, we all know there will be many violations and there will be consequences for the mental and physical health of the children who will be exposed to the smoke and who will consume the edible products.
I am pleased to see the emerging research characterizing the benefits of Cannabidiol (CBD) containing products (now legal in all 50 states) and I am encouraged by the potential benefits for IN agriculture as our farmers produce more hemp crops from which CBD is derived.
My views are not new, and I believe they are shared by most members of our medical community. I’d be happy to comment further after we make the final determination to move forward with a campaign- likely in a few weeks.
