At a press event held at a hemp and cannabis farm, a top Wisconsin Democratic Senator announced that a new bill has been filed to legalize marijuana. She shared details of the latest reform at the conference.
Senate Minority leader Melissa Agard has been a long-time advocate of marijuana legalization. She says that her new bill is based on her conversations with Wisconsin voters while she was leading a “Grass Routes Tour” across the state as well as the legalization laws passed in neighboring states such as Minnesota.
She is not under the illusion that this legislation will be any more likely to move forward in this session, as both chambers are still controlled by Republicans who have consistently opposed legalization. She told Marijuana Moment on Thursday in a telephone interview that she would continue to fight, because “she continues to believe that this is really the right thing for Wisconsin.”
Cannabis is dangerous, but it’s illegal.
The legalization and taxation of cannabis in Wisconsin, just as we do for alcohol, regulates a market that already exists and makes communities safer.
— Senator Melissa Agard (@SenatorAgard) September 22, 2023
The location of the filing announcement is also different, taking place at a hemp farm–a href=”https://www.marijuanamoment.net/wisconsin-lawmakers’ unveiling new marijuana legalization bill at a cannabis shop in Illinois/” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>rather than an Illinois marijuana shop like the press conference she held to unveil an earlier measure in 2021/a>. The announcement was also held at a hemp– farm, rather than a marijuana– shop in Illinois as she did for introducing an earlier measure 2021 .
The new legislation increases the personal possession limit to five ounces of marijuana for adults over 21. The bill would allow marijuana lounges that are under local control. Underage possession would no longer be punishable with criminal penalties, but instead by a fine. It would also defelonize adults who possess more than the legal limit. It would also automate the process of expunging prior non-violent cannabis convictions from people’s records. This is modeled on Minnesota’s new law.
Cannabis will be legalized in our country, including Wisconsin. It’s just a question of when.
Read our statement here: https://t.co/0ci8K6HMZy pic.twitter.com/Hcwj7Vsq9H
— Senator Melissa Agard
(@SenatorAgard) September 22, 2023
Agard stated that three states are around us with full legalization. These include Minnesota, Michigan and Illinois. “It’s important to me that we respect the rights of states through this process, but we also need to make sure we don’t create tension between the laws of one state and another so that the people will be safer after the bill is passed.”
She said, “I’ve been encouraging my colleagues from the other side to participate with me in the bill-writing process for years.” “But they are not as willing to sit with me.”
The minority leader said that Republican leaders, who have said they intend to introduce a limited medical cannabis bill but have not yet produced a bill, also did not invite her to take part in the discussion.
The GOP stripped the marijuana legalization provisions out of Gov. Tony Evers (D)’s budget bill was passed in May. Democrats including Agard filed two amendments in June to reinstate cannabis provisions into the budget. This forced floor votes and put members on record. The omnibus amendment restored a number of administrative priorities, including marijuana legalization. The other measure was a clean measure that focused solely on cannabis legalization. Both proposals were rejected by the Senate.
Agard told Marijuana Moment she was often impressed by the bipartisanship surrounding marijuana policy reform during her cannabis tours, which she has recently expanded to include new cities. She will encounter Republicans who will say they won’t vote Democrat but will tell her “you are right on this issue.”
Rep. Darrin Madison (D) is the Assembly counterpart of the bill. In a Statement on Saturday, he stated that the legalization of marijuana “is a question of public safety and race justice in Wisconsin.”
It is time for the will of people to be made law! https://t.co/crkfmqwXnJ
Darrin Madison Jr. (@DarrinBMadison), September 22, 2023
He said, “People in Wisconsin who use cannabis deserve to be able to purchase safe cannabis and use responsibly without being criminalized.” The bill we introduced today provides a solid basis for those who have been harshly sentenced for non-violent drug possession charges, and for the ramifications that come with those sentences.
These are the main provisions of the marijuana legalization legislation:
- Adults over 21 can possess up to 5 ounces of marijuana for personal use and grow up to 12 cannabis plants.
- The bill would impose an excise duty of 15 percent on marijuana producers, for the wholesale transfer and 10 percent on lounges and retailers for the sale. Patients who use medical cannabis would not have to pay a tax. The state would allocate 60 percent of its tax revenue to a fund for community reinvestment grants.
- The grants would be used to support initiatives to encourage women and minorities to participate in the industry, healthcare equity, and law enforcement training for impaired driving.
- Licensing cannabis businesses would fall under the state Department of Revenue. The Department of Agriculture would require additional permits for producers and processors. Businesses with more than 20 employees could not be licensed without a labor agreement.
- Wisconsin does not have a medical marijuana program. Therefore, this bill legalizes cannabis for both adult and medical purposes. DOR will need to create a registry of medical marijuana patients who qualify, such as those with a debilitating condition like cancer or AIDS.
- The Department of Justice of the state would be responsible for reviewing all records in order to identify any cases where someone was convicted of a crime that this bill legalizes. The department would have to start a process for clearing the record of the person if the offense was not violent.
- Employers would be prohibited, with certain exceptions, from discriminating on the basis of the fact that a worker or applicant used marijuana lawfully off the employer’s premises and outside working hours. Cannabis use could not be used to deny unemployment benefits.
As it stands today, the legislature is unlikely to even consider, much less advance, a comprehensive bill of legalization. Agard believes reform will be possible in the near future after Wisconsin “addresses that its super gerrymandered Legislature is not responsive to the issues most important to the people of Wisconsin.”
She said that the issue is likely to be resolved following the 2024 election. It gives me a lot of hope to continue to build coalitions by introducing the bill and through the Grass Routes Tour–and to know that we are getting it to the right place when we have a state legislature that listens to the people.”
Wisconsin is still a prohibition island in the region, despite an increasing number of states nearby legalizing marijuana. Minnesota was the most recent, but Ohio could be next if voters approve the reform initiative on the November ballot.
Republicans claim to be planning on introducing a medical cannabis bill in the fall. However, this hasn’t happened yet. If it turns out that it’s too restrictive, then it may not get support from the Democratic caucus.
Agard, who recently raised cannabis policy concerns with Biden administration officials at a meeting in the White House said that meaningful legalization was a question of “when”, not “if”.
She admits that, while her bill addresses a serious issue with significant economic and criminal justice implications, it is also “fun” to promote reform. This is evidenced by the fact that she announced the bill filing in a cannabis plant.
She also mentions , a “zine” about marijuana that her office published last month. It features playful illustrations as well as a call to action for voters to let their representatives know their opinions on legalization.
“I believe it’s important.” “We do hard work,” she said. But it’s important, I believe, to also see the benefits and find joy in this work.
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Photo by California State Fair.
The article Wisconsin Democratic Senator unveils new marijuana legalization bill at hemp farm first appeared on Marijuana Moment.
