Wisconsin senator says Republicans are just talking about medical marijuana reform and doing nothing
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The Wisconsin Senate Committee on Insurance, Licensing and Forestry will hold a public hearing on April 20 on a medical marijuana bill (Senate Bill 1034). The sponsors say the fact that the hearing is scheduled for the popular 4/20 cannabis holiday is a coincidence.
Responding to the hearing notice, Senator Melissa Agard (D-Madison) said Wisconsin residents are ready for cannabis reform, Wispolitics reports.
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“It has the support of a majority of our state’s residents, including a majority of Republicans,” Agard said. “While I’m encouraged that people are able to testify at a public hearing, it’s disappointing that we’ve had 15 months of sitting where we could have rolled up our sleeves and worked bipartisanly on this important and complex policy. Unfortunately, Republicans only talk when it comes to the legalization effort in Wisconsin.”
The main issue? The bill won’t go into effect this year because the legislature adjourned, and it won’t go back into effect until 2023. “There is no doubt that the Senate committee hearing on the medical marijuana bill is an achievement in that it allows proponents to make their arguments about the merits of MMJ in their quest for reform in the state,” Sen. Agard said this is not enough.
She went on to say that this is the second straight session that “Legislative Republicans have introduced a politically motivated late-season bill to try to fool the people of Wisconsin into believing they are serious about the… Legalization. Holding a public hearing after the session has already ended is a cynical political ploy that gives people false hope about the prospects of this legislation.”
Agard added that despite reaching out to her peers for over nine years regarding the legalization of cannabis in Wisconsin, not a single Republican has helped her.
“I am disappointed in the continued refusal of my fellow Republicans to do the right thing and listen to Wisconsiniers on the issue of cannabis legalization. My efforts will always work toward full legalization of cannabis,” Agard concluded.
Measure sponsor Sen. Felzkowski still enthusiastic
On the other hand, the measure’s sponsor, Sen. Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk), is still enthusiastic despite presenting the same medical marijuana bill at the last meeting, which died without a hearing, Madison writes.
“I want to encourage any Wisconsinite who is interested to get involved in the process, share your perspective, and learn more about the law,” Felzkowski said. “Whether you think the bill goes too far or not far enough, what’s important is that we all come together to have an open, honest and respectful discussion about how to move this idea forward.”
Felzkowski also chairs the Senate committee that will hold the hearing.
The Republican-controlled legislature has already nullified several cannabis-related measures this session: bills by Democrats and Republicans proposing to legalize MMJ, a bill by Democrats to legalize recreational cannabis use, and a bipartisan measure proposing the Proposes to decriminalize the possession of marijuana.
RELATED: Wisconsin governor seriously pushing marijuana reform
Will Next Week’s Hearing Pave the Way for Marijuana Reform in 2023? Who knows? One thing is for sure, the legalization of cannabis in the US and around the world is slowly but surely gaining momentum.
Recent developments in cannabis reform
The House of Representatives approved the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act, HR 3617 on April 1 and sent it to the Senate. The MORE Act repeals cannabis from the federal Controlled Substances Act and allows states to legalize cannabis, its production and sale free from federal interference.
To date, 37 states have legal medical marijuana programs, while about 18 states have fully legalized recreational cannabis, including neighbors Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan, while the other two neighbors Iowa and Minnesota allow medical cannabis.
So far, industry experts agree that the chances of the MORE bill passing the Senate are slim, with one of the main issues being gaining Republican support.
Photo by LPETTET/Getty Images
According to Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), handing control to states and treating cannabis like alcohol is the only way for marijuana reform to win Republican support. Mace is one of the few GOP officials who are in favor of removing cannabis from the list of federally controlled substances, yet she voted against the MORE Act. Why?
“The MORE Act is forcing a system on South Carolinans and other states that don’t want them. By comparison, my bill, the States Reform Act, removes the federal government from the equation and allows states to make their own decisions,” Mace explained, as reported by The State.
RELATED: Federally Legal Weed: Are the Stars Aligning? Will Dems and GOP meet in the middle?
Mace has her own bill, the States Reform Act, and there is also the Cannabis Administration & Opportunity Act sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
Is it possible that none of them will get the support they need from enough senators?
Anything is possible, but one thing that seems to be becoming clearer over time is that legalizing medical marijuana is more easily acceptable to many politicians.
This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.
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