Search Results: tallian (7)

Indiana State Sen. Karen Tallian.

Emboldened by recent federal developments that seemingly gives states more authority to regulate medical cannabis, an Indiana state Senator says she’s ready to (once again) push a medical marijuana bill through the state legislature.
State Sen. Karen Tallian has unsuccessfully ran marijuana-related bills for years (including decriminalization measures) that didn’t even get the respect of a hearing in a committee. But Tallian says that the time is right to have a real discussion about legalizing marijuana for medical uses in her state and urged Republicans on the other side of the aisle to get their heads out of the sand.

Indiana state Sen. Karen Tallian.

Up to two ounces of marijuana would be decriminalized and ticketed similar to a parking ticket in Indiana under a new proposal from state Sen. Karen Tallian. Currently, possession of thirty grams or less is a misdemeanor in the state with up to a year in jail and $5,000 in fines and the loss of your driver’s license. The most jailtime you could face for pot in the state would be eight years for cultivation of over ten pounds.
“We need to stop putting our kids in jail for what is becoming legal all over the country,” Tallian told a local news station this week.

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Let me grow.

The movement to reform our failed cannabis policies has grown tremendously in recent years and months. It’s not slowing down anytime soon. Cannabis reform is a mainstream issue, and frankly, there’s no denying it. A majority in the county support legalizing cannabis, and 81% support its legalization for medical purposes.
On top of this, a majority of states in our country (27 in total) have either decriminalized cannabis possession (14), or legalized it for medical and/or recreational purposes (18). The remaining states are hard at work towards reform, and advocates in the states mentioned above are vehemently trying to improve their situation. For those who have been on the line about getting involved in helping bring cannabis law change, now is absolutely the time to jump in.
Below is a breakdown of efforts going on around the country:

Photo: IN.gov
Cannabis grows beautifully in Indiana — witness the above, from Greens Fork last August (unfortunately busted after a tipster called it in).

​When Indiana state Senator Karen Tallian first floated the idea of introducing a bill to legalize marijuana, her Statehouse colleagues warned her it could kill her chances of being reelected. After all, conventional wisdom holds that pot legalization is a political third rail.

But Tallian (D-Portage), 60, a mother of three, thought there might be some public support for taking the crime out of cannabis, so she sent out an informal email survey to her constituents in northeast Indiana, reports Maureen Hayden at the CNHI Statehouse Bureau.
Within 72 hours of sending the email, she got more than 2,000 responses. Almost all of them were supportive, and most of those said Indiana should treat marijuana like alcohol: Control its sale and tax it as a revenue source.
“I was floored by the response,” Tallian said. Encouraged by the support, she filed a bill last January to begin a serious conversation about the issue.

Graphic: Medical Marijuana States

​The idea of legalizing marijuana is going to be studied by lawmakers in Indiana.

The General Assembly’s criminal law and sentencing policy study committee plans to examine all the different angles of the marijuana issue, including legalization, reports WHAS 11.
The Hoosier legislators will also take a look at decriminalizing pot, or creating a medical marijuana program in the state.
Among the lawmakers who support the study is Republican Rep. Tom Knollman, who is battling multiple sclerosis. Knollman told lawmakers during this legislatige session that he wished he could legally try cannabis to help relieve his pain.
Knollman said at the time that although he’s among the most conservative of state legislators, he hopes he can be a law-abiding citizen and “use one of God’s plants.”

Photo: World News
State Sen. Karen Tallian: “It has become painfully obvious that our current marijuana laws are not effective”

​The first hearing on S.B. 192 took place on Tuesday to discuss the need to study the marijuana laws in Indiana and find alternatives to arrest and incarceration. S.B. 192 would require lawmakers to investigate other options to the marijuana laws that put nonviolent Hoosiers behind bars and tie up scarce resources that the public would rather see spent on infrastructure, according to sponsor Sen. Karen Tallian (D-District 4).

“It has become painfully obvious that our current marijuana laws are not effective,” Sen. Tallian said. “We spend a sizable amount of money every year going after marijuana users and locking them up for a nonviolent crime, while more important programs that desperately need funds go wanting.

Graphic: ReLegalize Indiana

​An Indiana state senator is asking a question she hopes could spur debate over sentencing laws, and possibly save the state millions of dollars in the process: Should marijuana be legalized?

Sen. Karen Tallian (D-Portage) is sponsoring a bill that would direct the criminal law and sentencing study committee to examine Indiana’s marijuana laws next summer and come up with recommendations, reports Deanna Martin of the Associated Press.
“We need to think about this,” Tallian said. “We’re cutting essential services out of the budget now, and it may not make sense to spend millions of dollars prosecuting marijuana cases.”
Senate Corrections Committee Chairman Brent Steele (R-Bedford) said he would give Tallian’s proposal a legislative hearing, despite the fact that Democrats are badly outnumbered in the Senate. He said the study could help lawmakers decide if they should explore the issue, but noted that “even in California,” a proposal to legalize marijuana failed. (Yes, it’s coming true, as we predicted: The failure of Prop 19 is now being used as a talking point by prohibitionists.)