Indiana: Governor To Sign Bill Increasing Penalties For Marijuana

[bloomington-lib]

Source: Hemp News

With the rest of the United States moving toward relaxing the marijuana laws, Indiana seems to be bravely marching into the past. The Hoosier State's penalties for marijuana are getting tougher after Gov. Mike Pence requested -- and got -- stricter laws for low-level cannabis offenders.

The bill, HB 1006, still has at least one committee hearing, then it goes to the full Senate for a vote, Skywolf Neal Smith of Indiana NORML told Hemp News on Wednesday. It could be changed in committee or on the Senate floor; if there are significant changes, it will have to go back through the House for approval of the Senate changes, Smith said.
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The increased penalties come as part of an overhaul of Indiana's criminal sentencing laws; possession of anything over about one-third of an ounce of marijuana is now a felony in Indiana. Pence said last week that he believed the bill would "send a message that the state is "tough on drug dealers."
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When GEO built a 2,416-bed prison in New Castle, Indiana, the state signed a contract guaranteeing the for-profit prison company that 90 percent of the beds would stay filled.


Read more: http://hemp.org/news/content/indiana-governor-signs-bill-increasing-penalties-marijuana

[msongs]

1. for profit prisons - it is a blight on democrats and republicans nt

[mrmpa]

2. Some o the best home-grown I ever had............

was grown in Indiana.

[Tender to the Bone]

3. Indianans responds by throwing out the entire Republican Party from the legislative side

and rescind all idiotic bills passed by the previous legislature.

[nclib]

4. Wondered if there was a for-profit prison involved.

And see that there is.

[freshwest]

13. No connection. They heard how Seattle is suffering mass mayhem from legalized pot...

Well, not really. Just in case it's needed:

[olddad56]

5. if the plan is to fill the private prisons, then I think this bill will help with that.

get out of Indiana while you can.

[UBCchuck]

6. The state

The state I used to love 30 years ago just disgusts me now. The only thing that keeps me here is the small family farm I am trying to pass on. Pence is a GD pig.

[snappyturtle]

30. I left in 1965 and have really never looked back....but...

part of my family is there. My mother died a year ago and when the state
is satisfied that we've paid enough inheritance tax on the farm Then, we
can sell off the farmland....tillable acreage. Now that Mom is gone I have
little reason to visit my twin sister and her republican state senator husband.
Will have to see how he voted on this bill. Indiana has gone backwards in
so many ways. Good luck.

[lexw]

7. That is horrible about the promise to keep 90% of the beds filled.

Depressing.

[madrchsod]

8. come over to illinios....

we need more growers

[Bluenorthwest]

9. Regressive idiots.

nt

[Comrade Grumpy]

10. "Indiana Wants Me (Lord, I Can't Go Back There)"--R. Dean Taylor, 1970

[MADem]

26. Jeez, it must be the curse of a certain age--my first thought, too. nt

[tinymontgomery]

11. I guess this would be a fitting song

I Guess this would be a fitting song right about now.

[Comrade Grumpy]

12. Wow, that's scary! Right at the same moment.

[tinymontgomery]

17. I guess great minds

do think a like.

[dhill926]

14. so glad I left that state....

in the rear view mirror, six years ago......

[RoccoR5955]

15. How totally backwards!

Don't they realize that if they taxed and regulated the weed, they could have more money in government coffers?

Sorry, I forgot, it's all about profit for the corporations these days.

[Fuddnik]

19. Don't forget the campaign contributions the prison industry provides.

[Yavin4]

16. And The Big Irony Is That Indiana is Home to Probably The Biggest Drug Dealer in the World

Eli Lilly. They've killed far more people than marijuana.

[Wednesdays]

20. It might not be a coincidence

[Yavin4]

24. True dat

True dat.

[muntrv]

18. No Pence! The bill sends the message that you give a reach around to private prisons.

[Archae]

21. I think Pence believes in the movie "Reefer Madness."

[Initech]

22. For profit prisons need prisoners - and they're paying our leaders to fill them.

[AndyTiedye]

23. They Don't Care What We Think

and they want to make sure we know it.

They don't care. They don't have to. Do they?

[tabasco]

25. Unconscionable partnership with for-profit prisons

I can only wish the people of Indiana stop the madness.

[Sunlei]

27. meanwhile the for profit prison stock has gone sky high in less than a decade.

The Corporation should send thank you cards to the taxpayers for their tax money

[4_TN_TITANS]

28. As been said many times

they don't even try to hide it anymore. They certainly can't attribute this to public opinion, or constituent requests. Not even Tennessee legislators are that corrupt (yet).

[and-justice-for-all]

29. This state sucks.