(INDIANAPOLIS) - Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has joined a lawsuit challenging the federal government's plan to reclassify marijuana under federal law.
The Indiana Capital Chronicle reports Rokita joined attorneys general from Nebraska and Louisiana in filing a challenge with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The lawsuit argues the U.S. Department of Justice and Drug Enforcement Administration did not properly follow procedure in moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III status.
The proposed federal change would recognize some accepted medical uses for marijuana and place it in a less restrictive drug category.
Supporters of marijuana legalization have said the federal shift could increase pressure on Indiana lawmakers to reconsider state marijuana laws. Indiana remains among a small group of states that do not allow either medical or recreational marijuana sales.
The lawsuit has since been consolidated with a separate legal challenge filed by Smart Approaches to Marijuana and the National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association.
Rokita previously joined several other attorneys general in opposing the federal change, arguing marijuana should remain classified as a Schedule I drug and warning expanded use could negatively impact communities and young people.
Meanwhile, Republican State Senator Mike Bohacek has announced plans to draft legislation for the 2027 session that would legalize medical marijuana in Indiana and establish regulations governing its use and sale.
Governor Mike Braun has also recently said he is open to discussions about marijuana policy and regulation in Indiana, although he stopped short of supporting full legalization.