INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Democrat Jennifer McCormick on Thursday said the state should proceed carefully but ultimately should legalize adult recreational use of marijuana.

McCormick on Thursday became the second candidate for governor to unveil a plan to legalize the drug. Before enacting any policy, McCormick said she would first convene a commission of legal, medical, and business experts to investigate the potential benefits and pitfalls of legalization. She said the commission would review the experiences of states that have already legalized different forms of cannabis use, including the states bordering Indiana.

“The commission would be the first step in making sure that we have the right partners, again, who have the expertise, who understand the impact, who have already done an amazing amount of research in this area, to bring them to the table so we can have some really thoughtful and intelligent conversations about this and be very purposeful in how we do this so that it is successful,” McCormick said.

The state would begin by legalizing medical cannabis. After that, the commission would begin laying the groundwork for legalizing adult recreational use. A 2021 report by the Indiana Department of Health found 1 in 10 adults reported using marijuana in the past 30 days. McCormick said given the prevalence of illegal use, it makes sense to legalize, tax and regulate it. She pointed to research by the nonpartisan Tax Foundation, which showed Indiana could collect $172 million per year in revenue. McCormick said she would like to see the money used to fund mental health and substance abuse programs.

The public health impact of marijuana legalization has not yet been established. An analysis last year of multiple studies of legalization impacts concluded researchers have not yet been able to consistently demonstrate positive or negative public health effects. McCormick said there were risks with any such decision, such as legalizing gambling or alcohol.

“Obviously, there are risks and that’s why we would be very thoughtful at the beginning of this to help alleviate some of those risks,” McCormick said.

Any change to Indiana’s drug laws ultimately would have to go through the General Assembly. McCormick said the fact that lawmakers from both parties have introduced legalization bills in recent years indicates bipartisan support. No such legislation has advanced beyond the committee hearing stage.

Libertarian Donald Rainwater has campaigned on legalizing marijuana for years. He criticized McCormick Thursday for earlier comments about supporting medical marijuana but not recreational use.

Republican Mike Braun’s campaign declined to respond directly to McCormick’s plan, instead pointing to Braun’s previous comments on the issue. Braun has said he’s open to allowing medical use, but only if the federal government reclassifies marijuana. Marijuana is currently still classified as a schedule 1 drug, meaning it has no accepted medical use.