Wisconsin lawmakers introduce bill to legalize cannabis

The push to legalize the Badger State began in earnest last week when Democratic lawmakers in Wisconsin announced a bill on Sept. 22 that would lift the ban on recreational cannabis.

The bill was introduced by State Senator Melissa Agard and House Representative Darrin B. Madison.

Agard, Wisconsin state Senate minority leader, announced the legislation at an event at a hemp farm in Wisconsin, saying the status quo is more harmful than marijuana.

“I’ve said this time and time again, we know that the most dangerous thing about cannabis in Wisconsin is that it remains illegal,” Agard said, as quoted by local news station WSAW. “For the past decade, I have worked to undo Wisconsin’s antiquated and deeply inequitable marijuana policies and place our state on a successful path forward.”

Under the proposal, Wisconsin adults 21 and older would be able to legally possess marijuana. The measure would also lay the groundwork for the introduction of a regulated cannabis market in the state.

If it becomes law, Wisconsin would join nearly 40 other states in the country in allowing adult use of marijuana. That includes many of Wisconsin’s neighbors in the Great Lakes region, which Agard said has resulted in lost revenue for the Badger State.

“Right now we are seeing tens of millions of dollars of our hard-earned money flow across the border into Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota each year. This is money we could reinvest to support our friends and neighbors and make our state a place where people want to live, work and play,” Agard said, according to WSAW.

In its own statement, Madison said legalizing cannabis is “a matter of public safety and racial justice here in Wisconsin.”

“The people of Wisconsin indulge in cannabis use and deserve the opportunity to purchase safe cannabis and consume it responsibly without being criminalized. According to the ACLU, black people were 4.24 times more likely to be arrested than white people in Wisconsin in 2018. Similar disparities exist in sentencing, which has resulted in untold harm to Black communities in Wisconsin. The bill we introduced today lays a solid foundation for those who have been harshly convicted of nonviolent possession and the consequences of those convictions,” Madison said.

Poll data also shows that marijuana legalization is popular among Wisconsin residents.

“Wisconsin is ready to legalize marijuana – 69% of Wisconsin residents, including a majority of Republicans, support full legalization of marijuana. It is long past time for our state to respect the will of the majority and take advantage of the many positive economic and social benefits that legalization of cannabis brings. Let us join the people in more than half the nation who have said “yes” to leaving half-hearted Prohibition policies behind us and set our expectations higher,” Agard said in a press release.

But the Republican-controlled state legislature may not be ready yet. Despite broad public support and the backing of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin have so far resisted legalization.

Last spring, Republicans in the House rejected a proposal to legalize cannabis and hundreds of other measures promoted by Democrats.

“It’s not about fringe ideas, controversial concepts, or Republican or Democratic priorities – it’s about doing the right thing.” With historical surplus comes historical responsibility, and today, when we can afford to do more, “This vote is stupid and a missed opportunity,” Evers said at the time.

Evers, who was elected governor of the state in 2018 and re-elected last year, has long been a vocal advocate for marijuana legalization.

Last year, Evers issued dozens of pardons, including several for people previously convicted of marijuana-related crimes.

“There is power in redemption and forgiveness, especially for people who have worked to move beyond their past mistakes and become productive, positive members of their communities,” Evers said in a statement released at the time. “I’m grateful that I can give these people who worked hard for this a second chance.”

Early last year, Evers vetoed a Republican Party-backed measure that would have imposed harsher penalties for those arrested for marijuana, calling it “another step in the wrong direction.”

“I oppose this bill in its entirety because I oppose the creation of additional offenses or penalties related to marijuana use,” Evers said in a 2022 letter to the Assembly.

“It is widely accepted, and research over the past decade supports it, that marijuana criminalization has had a disproportionate impact on communities of color, particularly in Wisconsin, where there have long been racial disparities in incarceration rates,” Evers added.

Evers concluded his letter by explaining his interest in justice reform.

“States across our country – controlled by both Democrats and Republicans – have taken and are taking meaningful steps to address elevated incarceration rates and reduce racial disparities by investing in substance use treatment, community reintegration programs, alternatives to incarceration “We know that evidence-based practices are essential solutions to reforming our justice system,” the governor continued on the topic. “The data and science are clear on this issue, and I welcome the Legislature to engage in meaningful conversations about justice reform in Wisconsin.”