The social vices of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco could take center stage at this year’s Indiana General Assembly. Lawmakers are set to convene Wednesday. even though this is supposed to be a short session, the legislature has a lot of issues to address.
Conversations surrounding various social vices will continue to banter between local law makers in 2018. Republican State Representative Holli Sullivan predicts the major topic will most likely center around modernizing Sunday alcohol sales. However it won’t be until January 9th when the General Assembly will see all of the different versions of alcohol code revision. Sullivan says, “Obviously Sunday sales will be the topic… our Chairman Ben Smaltz in the house will probably file a bill to allow Sunday sales in a form between 12 and 8 pm.
Sullivan mentions the General Assembly will only have a short session and believes there won’t be enough traction to legalize marijuana for recreational use.
Yet there is a bill that could legalize the sale of CBD oil that has already been filed by Senator Jim Tomes and with recent controversy over the oil – it’s bound to be a hot topic this legislative session.
Sullivan says, “I do think yo will hear more the topic being centered around CBD oil. The last session in 2017 we passed legislation that will allow CBD oil registry and that registry is for Hoosiers who are either suffering from epilepsy or are caregivers for those who suffer from epilepsy.â€
And another issue that isn’t just known to the tri-state – the opioid epidemic will also be another hot topic. Sullivan says there are 100 hoosiers overdosing in the state of Indiana each month. That is a 600 percent increase in overdose deaths since 1999, placing Indiana as the 17th leading state in overdoses.
Sullivan says she will be working closely with the Govenor’s office and the Indiana State Department of Health to solve the crisis.
State Representative Wendy McNamara mentions “We’ve looked at it from a pharmacy perspective, we’ve looked at it from a longer jail time we are focusing on those people who are doing the criminal aspect of it and trying to heal those folks who have become addicted to it.â€
