Indiana Lawmakers Say Marijuana Legalization Will Not Advance in 2026

3 February 2026

Indiana lawmakers are signaling that 2026 will not be the year the state legalizes marijuana, even as federal policy appears to be shifting.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order in December aimed at reclassifying marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III at the federal level, a move that supporters see as a step toward softer national restrictions. In Indiana, however, the Republican-led legislature is not advancing any bills that would allow medical or recreational marijuana use.

Some lawmakers and advocates had hoped federal action might reduce resistance, since Indiana leaders have often pointed to marijuana’s Schedule I status as a reason to hold back. But statehouse leadership has not shifted its position. Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray said the executive order did not itself make the change, and he did not describe new momentum for legalization. House Courts and Criminal Code Committee Chair Wendy McNamara said Indiana has little reason to act while marijuana remains illegal at the federal level.

Even lawmakers who support reform are standing down for now. Rep. Heath VanNatter, who has backed marijuana changes in the past, said he did not file legislation this year because he did not expect it to move and because House rules limited him to five bills during the short session. VanNatter said federal rescheduling could eventually make it easier for Indiana to reduce criminal penalties for possession, even if legalization itself remains out of reach.

Instead of expanding access, lawmakers are focusing on restrictions tied to cannabis-adjacent products and public messaging.

One key proposal, Senate Bill 250, would ban intoxicating and synthetic hemp-derived products that contain THC. It would also prohibit sales or advertising of those products within 1,000 feet of schools or playgrounds. The bill includes language that would prevent Indiana law from automatically shifting if the federal government changes marijuana’s schedule, requiring state lawmakers to make a separate decision.

Another bill, House Bill 1200, targets marijuana advertising from neighboring states. It would require the removal of billboards and similar promotions for out-of-state dispensaries by July 1, 2026. The bill’s sponsor has argued that such ads can mislead residents into thinking marijuana is legal in Indiana, when it is not.

Advocates continue to look for progress outside the legislature. Jeff Staker, who leads Hoosier Veterans for Medical Cannabis, met in January with the state’s business affairs secretary to encourage the creation of a state cannabis commission. Staker has said he formed his group in 2016 after seeking alternatives to oxycontin for a back injury, and he has described frustration among veterans who want legal access for pain and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Still, no new action has come from the governor’s office, and the administration did not make officials available for interviews about marijuana policy.

For Indiana residents, the immediate reality remains the same: marijuana is not legal for medical or recreational use, and lawmakers are moving in the opposite direction on related products. For consumers who buy hemp-derived THC products, retailers who sell them, and advertisers near border highways, 2026 may bring new restrictions, not expanded access.