For many Illinoisans, a trip to Michigan often means passing through Indiana. Along the way, travelers are met with a familiar sight, billboards advertising fireworks that are illegal in Illinois, followed by a wave of cannabis advertisements as they approach the Michigan border. Dispensary deals, brand promotions, and cannabis-related sales are hard to miss. However, Indiana lawmakers are looking to change that.
A proposed bill aims to ban all cannabis advertising in the state, according to the Indiana Capital Chronicle. The amendment was attached to a broader piece of legislation concerning utility trailers after a Senate panel recently considered prohibiting cannabis-related billboards.
State Rep. Jim Pressel (R), who chairs the House Roads and Transportation Committee, voiced concerns about the influx of cannabis ads in communities near the Michigan border.
“My constituents, myself included, receive up to two – what would look like political mailers – a week advertising an illegal substance,” Pressel stated during a recent hearing.
The amendment would prohibit advertisements for any Schedule I drug listed on Indiana’s controlled substances list. Violators could face civil penalties of up to $15,000, along with costs tied to investigations and legal action.
The proposed ban would cover billboards, mailers, truck ads, television spots, and could even extend to online advertising. If enacted, the law would take effect immediately, though existing advertising contracts signed or renewed before the bill’s passage would be exempt.
The legislation is currently under review by Indiana’s Committee on Appropriations. Meanwhile, cannabis remains illegal in Indiana, despite three of its four neighboring states have legalized adult-use cannabis.
Source: Ganjapreneur, Indiana Capital Chronicle
Written by Midwest Dazed
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