The top Democrat in Wisconsin’s Senate is urging the public to pressure the GOP-controlled state legislature to hold a meeting on , a bill that she has sponsored to legalize marijuana.
Senate Minority leader Melissa Agard has been pressing the Republican majority for cannabis reform for many years. Now, she is circulating a petition online to show her support for a hearing to be held for lawmakers to take up this issue.
The petition states: “We know cannabis legalization in Wisconsin is a popular issue, but Republican legislators in the Capitol refuse even to schedule a hearing for my #LegalizeIt bill.” “Legislative Republicans can’t ignore the will and voices of Wisconsinites!”
It has always been my #GrassRoutesTour to listen to the people of Wisconsin. You can sign the petition for a public hearing here: https://t.co/XeeEq9OKOb #MarijuanaMonday
Video Credit: @PBSWI pic.twitter.com/TAcGab06ke
— Senator Melissa Agard (@SenatorAgard) November 20, 2023
The petition directs people to the constituent services webpage, where they can find materials about Agard’s marijuana legalization bill , her illustrated informational “zine”, and other resources to familiarize themselves with Agard’s proposal. She unveiled it at a hemp-farm in September.
Agard stated, “Please share this petition widely to be a part of the discussion about this important topic.” Legalizing cannabis would open up new economic frontiers and bring equity to the discriminatory criminal justice systems. We must put aside partisanship and prioritise the creation of family-supporting employment through the cannabis industry.
“Our farmers have prepared themselves. The communities that have suffered from overly strict drug laws are ready. The petition states that “Our Main Streets Are Ready”. Wisconsin is ready to grow its future. Let’s legalize marijuana!
The petition asks people to include their names and contact details, as well their comments on why they personally care about legalization.
Bill : The key provisions of Agard’s marijuana legalization bill
- 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 to cover the wholesale transfer of cannabis and a tax of 10 percent on lounges and retailers for the sale marijuana. 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 an individual 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.
The Badger State has not yet taken meaningful action on legalization despite the arguments made about its potential benefits. Republican leaders have stated that they are working on a limited medical cannabis bill. However, a bill has not been formally presented this session despite Assembly Speaker Robin Vos’ (R) claim they planned to introduce it “this fall.”
Mary Felzkowski, a Republican senator in the state of Texas, said that Democrats who advocate for comprehensive legalization undermine efforts to advance incremental reform. As the minority leader pointed out, Republicans have control over both chambers of Congress and can theoretically push any version of reform they want at any time.
In May, the GOP-controlled state legislature voted to remove cannabis reform language from Governor. Tony Evers (D)’s budget request included measures to legalize, tax and regulate cannabis in the State.
Evers’s office, which submitted the budget request for this fiscal year, estimated that legal cannabis would bring in $44.4 million of “segregated taxes” and an additional $10.2 million to the general fund in fiscal 2025, if the reform were implemented.
The Governor also included legalization of adult-use marijuana and medical cannabis in the budget he proposed for 2021 as well as medical cannabis and decriminalization in the 2019 proposal. However, the conservative legislature has consistently obstructed the reform.
The state Department of Revenue, in a recent estimate of the bill’s economic impact, estimated that it would generate approximately $170 million per year in tax revenue.
Bipartisan and bicameral Wisconsin legislators recently introduced a bill which would establish a pilot program for psilocybin in the state.
Ohio GOP Senate Presiden Lays Out Process to Revise Marijuana Law Arguing Voters didn’t Understand Certain Provisions
Photo by Mike Latimer.
The post Top Wisconsin Senate Democratic Circulates Petitions Calling for Marijuana Legitimization Hearing in GOP-Controlled Legislature first appeared on Marijuana Moment.
