INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Several pro-pot groups and supporters of legalizing recreational marijuana gathered at the Indiana Statehouse Monday morning. They want lawmakers to once again consider the legalization of pot in the state.
Groups brought up Michigan and Illinois—two states that recently legalized weed. They say Indiana lawmakers need to take note because it shows society can function with legalization and it’s time Indiana did the same.
Indiana NORML says by keeping recreational marijuana illegal, they are targeting certain Hoosiers.
“It was a way to attack certain groups of individuals,” said William Henry, chairman of Indiana NORML. “Culturally we were harassing and attacking people in our communities because of their use of cannabis over this whole period of prohibition.”
Supporters of legalization say other states are moving forward and giving safer treatment options to people that need it but Indiana just isn’t moving at the same pace.
David Curtis was just one of the supporters at the rally. He supports legalization because of his daughter Charly. She had what’s called Isodicentric 15. Curtis said that no medication was helping her but when he gave her THC, her seizures would stop. He had to travel to Colorado for it and one trip, he got the call that his daughter had passed away from a seizure in her sleep. She was 6-years-old.
Today, Curtis carries a small urn with Charly’s ashes in it. It’s his first full year without her.
“She stays in my pocket I always keep her with me and until this law changes…it has to change,” said Curtis. “These kids need cannabis, these kids do not need to be guinea pigs. The only thing we gotta do is get the correct dose. That’s it.”
NORML says they will continue to hold rallies to show lawmakers how much support legalization has in the Hoosier state. They want lawmakers to know that recreational marijuana can save lives and by denying it to Hoosiers, they are killing them.
