Is weed legal in Indiana? Understanding state's marijuana laws

Is marijuana legal in the state of Indiana?

The simple answer is no. However, there is proposed legislation that would make possession of a small amount of weed legal.

Even decriminalizing an ounce or two is a far cry from legalizing the sale, like in Illinois and dozens of other states. 

Indiana's marijuana laws

Under Indiana statute, possession of less than 1.1 ounce (30 grams) of marijuana is a Class B misdemeanor. Possession of more than 1.1 ounces is a lower-level felony.

The proposed legislation, House Bill 1349, was authored by Reps. Heath VanNatter, Steve Bartels, and Jake Teshka. It would allow for possession of up to two ounces of weed.

Possessing two to four ounces would be a Class B misdemeanor, while more than four ounces would be a felony.

According to a financial analysis of the proposed law, the change would cost the state about $300,000 in revenue currently collected from fines. The study found 2,384 people were convicted of misdemeanor marijuana possession in 2023. (Illinois recorded $1.3 billion in revenue from legal weed sales in 2023.) 

Four people were sentenced to jail time in 2023 for a marijuana offense in Indiana, that analysis found. Five were jailed in the previous four years combined.

Will weed become legal in Indiana?

However, the bill never made it out of committee before the legislative session ended on March 14,

The bill was assigned to the Committee on Courts and Criminal Code on Jan. 11, 2024.