The Indiana House of Representatives defeated an amendment aimed at allowing farmers to begin growing marijuana.

The amendment, from Rep. Kyle Miller (D), would have directed the state chemist and seed commissioner to issue special use permits to between three and 10 farmers for the cultivation of marijuana seed, with geographic distribution requirements.

While Miller framed the proposal as a way to prepare the state for federal marijuana rescheduling under a recent order from President Donald Trump, it was defeated in a voice vote on Thursday.

“While this part of the chapter is open, we should get prepared for what Donald Trump, through his executive order, has asked—to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III,” the lawmaker said. “The longer we stick our heads in the sand, we’re hurting our farmers, we’re hurting our constituents. We need to move forward on this issue.”

Rep. Mike Aylesworth (R), the sponsor of the bill about state seed law, that Miller was seeking to amend, spoke against the proposed change.

“The Indiana criminal code prohibits the possession of marijuana seeds that are capable of germination. This amendment seeks to allow the state seed commissioner to offer permits to farmers for an action that is currently illegal in Indiana,” he said, according to The Times of Northwest Indiana. “The amendment does not alter the criminal code and thus creates a statutory conflict.”

A poll released this month shows that nearly three in five Indiana residents back legalizing cannabis for medical and recreational use.

It found that 59 percent of residents are in favor of legalizing cannabis for both medical and recreational purposes. An additional 25 percent back only allowing patients to access medical marijuana, raising the total support for that reform to 84 percent.

The survey was released just days after Indiana Rep. Mitch Gore (D) filed legislation that would effectively legalize the possession and cultivation of limited amounts of marijuana. It’s one of several reform options on the table so far in the legislature for this year’s session.

Cannabis reform advocates have generally struggled to make inroads in the conservative legislature over recent years.

That said, the state’s GOP governor said recently that Trump’s move to federally reschedule marijuana could add “a little bit of fire” to the local push for cannabis legalization in his state.

Gov. Mike Braun (R) also said last year that he’s “amenable” to medical cannabis legalization.

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Braun previously said that “it’s probably time” to allow access to therapeutic cannabis among patients in the state. Those comments came alongside a separate poll indicating that nearly 9 in 10 Indiana adults (87 percent) support marijuana legalization.

Top Republicans in the legislature, however, have openly opposed marijuana reform.

“It’s no secret that I am not for this,” Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray (R) said in late 2024. “I don’t have people coming to me with really compelling medical cases as to why it’s so beneficial. And any state that I’ve seen pass medical marijuana is essentially passing recreational marijuana.”

House Speaker Todd Huston (R) doubted any medical benefits associated with marijuana, calling the substance “a deterrent to mental health.” He and others suggested that lawmakers supportive of the reform merely want to boost state revenue.

A number of marijuana reform bills were introduced for the Indiana legislature’s 2025 session, including one—from Reps. Jim Lucas (R) and Shane Lindauer (R)—that would have legalized medical marijuana for people with “serious medical conditions as determined by their physician.”