Currently, under federal guidelines and laws, cannabis is considered a schedule 1 substance. This listing states that cannabis has no medicinal properties and a high potential for abuse ( https://www.dea.gov/druginfo/ds.shtml ). However, it has been proven that cannabis has several medicinal properties; a patent is even held by the U.S. government stating that it has medicinal properties ( https://www.google.com/patents/US6630507 ).

There are many individuals living in the Hoosier State that suffer from terminal illness and other severe conditions. There are over 476,000 veterans living in Indiana ( http://www.va.gov/vetdata/veteran_population.asp ), and the current statistics show that between 10 and 30 percent of vets are currently suffering from PTSD, depending on the war they served in ( https://medlineplus.gov/magazine/issues/winter09/articles/winter09pg10-14.html ). That means that between 47,000 and 142,000 veterans living in Indiana suffer from PTSD. PTSD is treatable with cannabis, and the meds that are currently used to treat PTSD have a vast array of negative side effects.

This is only one small example of how medicinal cannabis can help residents of the Hoosier state. It treats a wide array of other ailments and illnesses, and can provide much needed tax relief to the citizens of this state. Many states are seeing a positive outcome after legalizing medicinal cannabis. The well-being of our residents is at stake. We need to seriously consider this action as soon as possible. Please sign and share this petition.