Indiana’s neighbors are cashing in on marijuana sales, while the state itself is stuck in the past. Despite several cannabis-related bills being introduced during the 2025 legislative session, none of them made it into law. Instead, lawmakers focused on cutting millions of dollars from the state budget due to a revenue shortfall caused by President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio are all reaping the benefits of legal marijuana sales. In March 2025 alone, Illinois brought in over $147 million in adult-use cannabis sales, with $116.5 million coming from in-state residents and $31 million from tourists. The state has made a total of $418 million in adult-use sales so far this year, with an additional $63 million in medical marijuana sales.
Michigan took in over $276 million in adult-use sales in March 2025, a $35 million increase from the previous month. The state has also seen significant revenue from medicinal marijuana sales, with over $655,000 generated in March.
Ohio, which legalized adult-use marijuana sales in August, has generated over $465 million in non-medical sales since then. The state has also seen significant revenue from medical marijuana sales, with over $2.6 billion generated in the last six years.
Meanwhile, Indiana is stuck in a state of limbo, with no legal marijuana sales to speak of. The state’s rejection of cannabis legalization means that it is missing out on a significant source of revenue, with millions of dollars being generated by its neighbors. The drastic cuts to the state budget will likely have a significant impact on local health departments and public broadcasting stations, including Evansville’s WNIN, which will lose about 15% of its budget.
It remains to be seen when or if Indiana will follow its neighbors in legalizing marijuana sales. Until then, the state will continue to miss out on a significant source of revenue and will likely struggle to make up for the shortfall.
