Indiana lawmakers are considering a statewide ban on marijuana advertising after a House committee approved an amendment Monday.
Rep. Jim Pressel, R-LaPorte, said his district near the Michigan border is flooded with billboards and mailers promoting dispensaries in nearby New Buffalo.
“This is an issue in northern Indiana, for sure in my district and out as I talk to other legislators from northern Indiana,” Pressel explained. “We are inundated with billboards that advertise marijuana.”
The proposal expands on a previous Senate plan targeting billboards by prohibiting ads for illegal marijuana in all forms. Lobbyists for the advertising industry argued the move is government overreach.
Pressel, who chairs the House Roads and Transportation Committee, attached the amendment to Senate Bill 73, which originally focused on utility trailer sales. The measure would allow Indiana’s attorney general to seek injunctions and fines of up to $15,000 per violation.
“It’s driving people nuts,” Pressel contended. “We have now a rolling billboard truck; this truck tends to set up outside of the high school. It sets up outside of the parks. It sets up at baseball diamonds. I think this is unacceptable.”
The amendment covers billboards, mailers, truck ads, television and possibly online marketing. Lawmakers approved it without opposition. Cannabis is now legal in 24 states, including Ohio, Michigan and Illinois, three of Indiana’s four neighbors.
6 comments
Yeah just legalize and use the revenues
Freedom of speech for me not you
Instead of being so worried about marijuana billboards and that stupid shit get marijuana legalized recreational and medical and start helping people since the legalization and everyone decided to tax something that actually grows naturally which is illegal in itself. But anyways legalize it. You guys gave us a wheel tax to fix the roads but our roads sure in the hell aren’t being fixed properly but boy are your pockets getting fatter. And while you guys are so anti-marijuana you guys need to worry about cracking down on the major meth and coke and the fake marijuana instead of marijuana. But yet you guys allow big pharma to push whatever bs they wanna push instead of worrying about the outcome years later and until it becomes a problem in the rich neighborhoods and some rich person’s child dies from an overdose only then is it a problem. Meanwhile the poor people have been burying their children. So stop whining about marijuana when there’s worse things to be dealt with.
Do this, then ban lawyers, doctors and drug companies.
Shut it down, along with all advrets from lawyers, doctors and pharmaceutical companies.
SERIOUSLY?? This is what’s Indiana’s legislatures are agonizing over??! Hey legislatures: How about REALLY doing something about out of control property taxes! While you’re at it, you can do something about the counties that have imposed a “wheel tax” of which a very small percentage goes to road repair! Enough is ENOUGH!!