The 91 prosecuting attorneys in Indiana have sent a letter to the Indiana Commission to Combat Drug Abuse urging the group to publically criticize legalizing marijuana.
Momentum to legalize marijuana seems to be building in Indiana. State Rep. Jim Lucas plans to file a bill to legalize medical marijuana in order to help curb the opioid epidemic.
Apparently, The Association of Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys, Inc. does not share Lucas’ sentiment. The group has filed a letter with the Indiana Commission to Combat Drug Abuse requesting that they formally denounce marijuana legalization in any form.
According to The Indy Channel, an ABC local affiliate published the letter’s main arguments:
- Marijuana use increases the risk of opioid abuse and other controlled substances and has been associated with reduced odds of achieving abstinence from alcohol, cocaine or polysubstance use.
- Marijuana is not medicine and information purporting that marijuana is medicine is based on half-truths and anecdotal evidence.
- Marijuana legalization in other states has been a detriment; specifically to workforce availability, impaired driving and in increased use among youth.
“For all of these reasons, we strongly believe both medicinal and recreational marijuana legalization are wrong for Indiana. We urge you to take a stand against these policies that would cause further harm to communities already suffering from the devastating effects of drug abuse,” said David Powell, Executive Secretary of the Association of Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys, Inc.
Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill has also come out against legalizing marijuana.
Currently, there are 29 states that have legalized medical marijuana and 8 states that have approved recreational sales.
