from the French Revolution to Pope Francis’ Indiana lawmakers propose marijuana bills

By GABBY BEECHERT news writer

The indiana legislature has proposed a number of bills regarding the legality of marijuana use, possession and sale in the state.

These include the decriminalization of possession of small amounts of marijuana, the legalization medicinal marijuana, the development regulatory processes for the sale of marijuana and the creation of a defense for someone operating a vehicle who is not intoxicated but has marijuana in their system.

The proposal of these bills comes at a time when all of indiana’s neighboring states have legalized marijuana in some capacity, according to The indianapolis star. both illinois and michigan have legalized recreational marijuana use and ohio has legalized medicinal marijuana. an executive order put into effect by Kentucky govenor andy beshear on Jan. 1 has partially legalized medicinal marijuana for certain people with one of 21 severe medical conditions.

david campbell, professor of political science at notre dame, said the legalization of marijuana in the surrounding states could have been part of the reason for the creation of these bills.

“once neighboring states have enacted a policy change it makes it not only a lot easier, but it actually provides a pretty strong rationale within a state to change its policy,” campbell said. “Think of indiana, which is bordered by both illinois and michigan where marijuana is legal.”

This phenomenon is known as policy diffusion campbell said. a certain policy will be enacted in a single or small number of states. policymakers in other states will then enact the same policy.

The legalization of marijuana in indiana could also be in part due to difficulties with policing marijuana across state borders. campbell said st. Joseph’s county could be specifically difficult to police because the area is close to both michigan and illinois.

There has also been a shift in the mindset regarding the danger of marijuana among citizens and lawmakers. marijuana was targeted by nixon administration’s implementation of the war on drugs, Theodore beauchaine, a professor of psychology who currently teaches a course called psychology of addiction, said. but as of January 2023, 21 states, washington, d c and guam have acted to legalize recreational marijuana, according to u s news.

This change does not have one identifiable cause. rather, it could be the result of many reasons, campbell and beauchaine said.

“it’s undeniable that [marijuana] is not as damaging as some other drugs. There is such a thing as marijuana addiction, but that affects fewer people,” beauchaine said.

“people recognize this, and they look and they see what the toll of drinking is on our society, and they can see that it can’t be any worse for marijuana.” campbell said the shift in public opinion occurred around the early 2000s when more americans were claiming to not have any religious affiliation, a factor correlated with views on drugs. even so, the legalization of marijuana is not something that religious leaders have specifically spoken out on in comparison to other issues, such as same-sex marriage, campbell said.

Furthermore, such a massive shift in public opinion has forced politicians to reevaluate their positions on marijuana.

“as a political scientist, i’m always inclined to think about what incentives politicians have to push one issue versus another,” campbell said. “we can only conclude that politicians decided that public opinion was moving

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“Why It Matters to Talk about Abortion on framework for global history. he went on to highlight nine key precepts that distinguish the significance and skillful delivery of mcGreevy’s latest book. in addition to these underlying skills, moyn reflected on mcGreevy’s portrayal of the church’s global history and personal nature, providing a variety of catholic personifications “while avoiding tokenism and representation for its own sake.” according to moyn, mcGreevy adroitly depicts the interplay between catholic tradition and innovation in the modern age, while also contextualizing the faith in the cultures that surrounded it and illustrating its significance to secular figures and events. mcGreevy honestly reflects the challenges that the church has faced and divisions within it without trying to advocate for one view over another. moyn pointed out that mcGreevy’s scholarship of the material in his field and thorough degree of research are on full display, topped off with some sources from notre dame. even while crafting his own work, mcGreevy demonstrates a true sense of collaboration and community with other intellectuals in his field. mcGreevy took the floor following moyn’s speech. he first thanked his family and colleagues and then turned his attention to answering, as he said, “Why this book? Why now?” he described his motivation as twofold, one of which was to illustrate the significance of the catholic church on the global and historical stages. as he said, “a better understanding of catholicism enhances our grasp of the modern world.”

To start, moyn commented on the sophistication and precision of mcGreevy’s writing, which came across as effortless without distracting from his purpose. he further admired mcGreevy’s construction of each chapter as “a complete story in itself,” featuring thoughtful selections of characters and clear illustrations of broader takeaways.

Finally, moyn concluded his speech by acknowledging mcGreevy’s way of connecting this history with the current era, making it relevant to both the present and future.

“no institution is as multicultural or multilingual. Few touch as many people…only the catholic church includes extended networks of people and institutions in Warsaw, nairobi and mexico city as well as the most remote sections of the amazon.” he went on to emphasize catholicism’s truly universal nature, remarking, “nation states matter for the study of modern catholicism…but people, devotions and ideas cross national borders with surprising ease.” he recounted the second part of his motive by depicting the combination of “vibrancy” and “turmoil” that characterizes the current catholic church, explaining its implications for those at notre dame. he acknowledged how grateful he is, and as we all should be to attend, or work at such a premier catholic institution, adding, “This good fortune means that we have an opportunity, maybe a responsibility, to confront the challenges we all now face.” he finished with a recognition of the change currently happening within catholicism and the world, as well as the potential of everyone at notre dame to contribute to its new identity.

The event concluded with lunch and a book signing. When asked his thoughts on the event, mcGreevy described it as “thrilling,” saying he was “really honored to be [there].”

Contact Keira Stenson at kstenson@nd.edu