Indiana House Bill HB1145

Indiana 2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/8/25
• Refer: 1/8/25

Caption

Decriminalization of marijuana.

Summary

HB1145 would amend Indiana’s marijuana possession statute to decriminalize possession of two ounces or less of marijuana. Under current law, possession of more than two ounces of marijuana, as well as hash oil, hashish, or salvia, is a Class B misdemeanor, with higher penalties in certain circumstances. The bill keeps the existing penalties for amounts above two ounces and for other listed substances, but removes criminal liability for possession at or below the two-ounce threshold. The bill also leaves in place enhanced penalties for people with prior drug convictions and for possession involving products packaged to look like low-THC hemp extract when the person knew or should have known the product was marijuana or another covered substance. It is set to take effect July 1, 2025, and would amend IC 35-48-4-11, Indiana’s controlled-substances possession statute.

Impact

If enacted, HB1145 would narrow the scope of Indiana’s marijuana possession offense by exempting possession of two ounces or less from criminal punishment, while preserving misdemeanor and felony penalties for larger amounts and for repeat drug offenders. It would directly amend IC 35-48-4-11 and would affect law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and individuals charged with low-level marijuana possession. The bill does not legalize marijuana generally; it only removes criminal penalties for possession at or below the stated amount.

Sentiment

Based on the bill title and introduced text, the measure appears to be framed as a decriminalization proposal rather than a broader legalization bill. No committee transcript or vote record is provided, so there is no documented floor or committee sentiment in the supplied materials. The available context suggests the bill was introduced as a criminal-code reform measure, likely appealing to supporters of marijuana policy reform and likely opposed by those favoring continued criminal penalties for possession.

Contention

The main point of contention is the policy choice to decriminalize possession of up to two ounces of marijuana. Supporters would likely argue that low-level possession should not be treated as a crime, while opponents may object that the bill weakens drug enforcement and could complicate policing and prosecution. A secondary issue is that the bill preserves penalties for hash oil, hashish, salvia, and for repeat offenders, which may limit but not eliminate disagreement over how far decriminalization should go.