Indy Star dives into the machinations of cannabis money
A Marion County grand jury is investigating possible unlawful lobbying allegations at the Indiana Statehouse.
The grand jury heard testimony on three occasions recently regarding an “investigation into the unlawful lobbying and false lobbying reporting related to cannabis policy” that occurred in the 2025 legislative session, according to the quarterly report that the grand jury is required to file.
The testimony was heard May 21, June 1 and June 5, according to the report. It does not list any other details about the investigation or its subject matter.
Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears declined to comment further on the investigation when asked by IndyStar.
“Pursuant to the laws surrounding grand juries, the report speaks for itself,” said Michael Leffler, a spokesperson for Mears.
A leader for the Indiana Lobby Registration Commission, the state administrative body that tracks and monitors lobbyists and lobbying activity, Associate Executive Director Amy Nicholson, said it had “no comment to make at this time” when asked about the probe by IndyStar.
State and local law enforcement agencies don’t appear to be involved in the investigation. A spokesperson for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said “our office is not aware of any investigations regarding your inquiry.” A spokesperson for Indiana State Police said it was not part of the investigation.
Molly Gillaspie, a spokesperson for Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston, said “pursuant to the laws surrounding grand juries we will not be commenting.”
Indiana is in a minority of states that don’t allow medical or recreational marijuana sales, though lobbying efforts have ebbed and flowed at the Statehouse for more than a decade since the nationwide push to legalize the drug began.
Gov. Mike Braun has said that medical marijuana “makes sense,” but opinions remain divided among the Republican supermajority in the General Assembly.
Four bipartisan bills that would have legalized medical cannabis and another four proposals that would have allowed recreational sales died in committee during the 2025 legislative session, as did a decriminalization bill proposed by Rep. Heath VanNatter, R-Kokomo.
During that year, a new group featuring several prominent Republicans promoted marijuana legalization. The group, Safe and Regulated Indiana, had a 501c4 tax status, which allowed its donors to remain secret. Joe Elsener, the former Marion County Republican Party Chair, was the public face of the group.
Elsener did not immediately respond to a message from IndyStar.
Lawmakers instead approved House Bill 1390, a bill mostly focused on the Bureau of Motor Vehicles that also bans advertising marijuana products “by any medium” in Indiana. The law, which went into effect on July 1, prohibits the billboards that advertise dispensaries just over the border in each of Indiana’s neighboring states.
News of the grand jury investigation intrigued advocates in the industry, but those who IndyStar reached said they hadn’t heard about it.
“This is very unusual,” said Jeff Staker of Hoosier Veterans for Medical Cannabis.
Jack Cain of Indiana NORML, which advocates for marijuana legalization, said he had no idea a grand jury had convened.
“Oh my God, what could this mean?” Cain said.
