Indiana residents are spending an estimated $1.8 billion on cannabis each year despite living with some of the nation’s strictest marijuana policies, according to research released Wednesday.
The big picture: The report puts hard numbers behind a growing reality: The legal weed market is making big green from Hoosiers — just not in Indiana.
State of play: The Indianapolis-based Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation commissioned RAND to produce what it calls the first comprehensive look at cannabis use, spending and enforcement in Indiana.
- The Trump administration has taken steps toward reclassifying marijuana as a less restrictive drug.
- President Trump also took to Truth Social last week, calling on Congress to “update the Law to ensure that Americans can continue to access” CBD and hemp-derived products at risk of being pulled from Indiana shelves in November.
Zoom in: RAND was asked to produce two companion reports: one that maps Indiana’s current cannabis landscape and another that examines future policy options…