Since Ohio Legalized Marijuana, Police Are Warning People in Indiana Who Cross State Lines to Get It
RICHMOND, Ind. — The state to the east of Indiana has joined several others that have legalized marijuana use for adults.
But it’s still against the law in the Hoosier state.
The closest Low Bob’s Discount Tobacco store is less than 5 miles away in Ohio. Employees expect a lot of customers to drive across state lines to buy tobacco.
“People have been coming here for 20 years.” Tonyia Seiber said, “I’ve lived here for 20 years.”
As more people visit dispensaries, she said, Low Bob’s could see more business as more people come in to buy trinkets and other things.
She is worried about the people who will drive from Indiana, which takes 10 minutes.
He said, “Two days ago, they made it legal. I’ve heard people talking about it, and they said, ‘I don’t know if I would do it, it’s kind of risky.'”
Police in Indiana say that marijuana is still illegal.
“People often aren’t from Indiana and are just passing through, or people from Indiana think that if they buy it legally in another state, they can have it legally, which is not true,” said Sgt. John Perrine of the Indiana State Police.
Ohio, along with Michigan and Illinois, now lets people use marijuana for fun. In Kentucky, people with a medical card can also use it.
There are legalized states all around Indiana, but cops say they haven’t seen many people traveling for it.
The number of people who don’t know the law has gone up, but I don’t think there has been a big rise in crime, said Perrine.
Some places, like Marion County, no longer prosecute people for marijuana use, but if a policeman finds you with marijuana, wax, or edibles, you are still breaking the law.
He said, “Remember that the law in Indiana has not changed.” “The Indiana State Police will follow that state law and hold you accountable for it no matter what county you’re in.”
It is a Class B misdemeanor in Indiana to have less than 30 grams. You could spend 180 days in jail or pay a $1,000 fine.