Cannabis Decriminalization Bill Introduced in Wisconsin

A bill introduced last week In Wisconsin aims to decriminalize possession of up to 14 grams of cannabis by adults, the Wisconsin State Journal reports. The measure would also reduce the penalties for possession from a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine to fines between $100 and $250.  

Current state law also allows repeat offenders to be charged with a felony and the decriminalization bill would eliminate the consideration of previous possession charges for 28 grams of cannabis or less. 

The proposal has an uphill climb in the Republican-controlled Legislature. A similar proposal in 2021 didn’t get a hearing in either chamber. 

Were the measure to get approved by lawmakers, it would likely be signed into law by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who in his last two budgets included adult-use legalization proposals.  

In September, a bicameral cannabis legalization bill was introduced in the state by Sen. Melissa Agard, the Democrat leader in the chamber, and Rep. Darrin B. Madison. Three of Wisconsin’s four border states – Minnesota, Illinois, and Michigan – have legalized cannabis for adult use. A February report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum found that half of the state’s residents aged 21 or older – about 2.16 million people – already live within 75 minutes of an adult-use dispensary in a nearby state and another 30% live within an hour’s drive.