The legalization of medical cannabis in Wisconsin can be a reality since legislators have introduced a bill
Marijuana laws are quite strict in Wisconsin. Although cannabis legalization is spreading in the United States, President Trump wants states to have the ability to decide on it. Lawmakers are pushing for the legalization of medical cannabis in Wisconsin to be a reality.
Recently, lawmakers in Wisconsin introduced a bill to legalize medical cannabis. If the new bill is approved, patients may use medical cannabis if they are registered in the state. The project also provides a licensing system for producers. The high demand for legalization of marijuana by the majority of Wisconsin residents motivated lawmakers to carry out the bill. A survey conducted at the Marquette University School of Law in April showed that 59% of voters supported the legalization of cannabis for adults in Wisconsin. Just over 83% of voters supported the legalization of medical cannabis. But for now, cannabis is still illegal in Wisconsin.
Marijuana is considered a hallucinogenic substance from Schedule I under the Uniform Controlled Substances Act of Wisconsin. Medical cannabis is allowed up to a certain limit. The state legalized non-psychoactive CBD oil in 2014. But CBD oil is subject to very strict controls. Non-psychoactive CBD oil is allowed for a few limited medical conditions under Wisconsin cannabis laws. In November 2017, Wisconsin legalized the cultivation of industrial hemp.
Requirements of the new medical cannabis law in Wisconsin
In order for patients to be authorized to use medical marijuana, they must:
Join a new state registry of the Department of Health Services
Having a medical condition qualified for registration, such as AIDS, cancer, posttraumatic stress disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, severe pain or chronic illness
Have a doctor’s approval after diagnosis to qualify and join the registry
Pay a registration fee of $ 250 and an annual fee of $ 250
The new bill will allow a new licensing system for medical marijuana growers. The criteria for obtaining a medical marijuana grower license include:
Grow more than a dozen marijuana plants for an initial fee of $ 250 and an annual fee of $ 5,000
Do not grow marijuana for personal or family use
Challenges for the legalization of medicinal marijuana in Wisconsin
Democratic Senator Jon Erpenbach, Democratic Representative Chris Taylor and Republican Senator Patrick Testin introduced the new bill. According to them, the government should not decide if a patient needs medical marijuana.
Traditionally, Democrats have supported the legalization of marijuana. As the 2020 presidential election campaign approaches, Democratic candidates have placed more emphasis on the issue of federal legalization of marijuana. The truth is that President Trump has said on numerous occasions that he would be in favor but that he believes it should be a decision of each state. Recently, Beto O’Rourke boosted his election campaign with marijuana reforms. Republicans have not always been in favor of the legalization of marijuana. A Harvard study concluded that 50% of Republicans oppose legalization. Maybe Republicans could oppose the legalization of cannabis in Wisconsin.
If the legalization of medical cannabis occurred in Wisconsin, there would be a net positive effect of $ 1.1 billion in addition to health benefits. The legalization of cannabis in Wisconsin would reduce opioid overdose, addiction and traffic accident deaths, according to a cost-benefit analysis conducted by the University of Wisconsin, Madison’s La Follette School of Public Affairs. If the state decriminalized cannabis, it could save up to an additional $ 30 million in criminal justice costs. The study did not project possible state tax revenues, but the main defender of the legalization of the Legislature, state representative Melissa Sargent, a Democrat for Madison, says that such a measure could generate $ 138 million a year.
The growth of the marijuana industry is almost unprecedented. Tom Adams, chief editor of Arcview, states that the only consumer industries that grew to the same extent and as quickly as the cannabis industry in recent years are broadband Internet in the 2000s and cable television in the 1990s.
In Wisconsin, blacks are four times more likely than whites to be arrested for possession of marijuana.
