Wisconsin voters in at least half a dozen cities and counties will be asked on November\u2019s ballot whether they support legalizing, taxing and regulating cannabis in a manner similar to alcohol.<\/p>\n
In recent weeks, local governments in the counties of Dane, Eau Claire and Milwaukee, along with the cities of Appleton, Kenosha and Racine, approved advisory referenda meant to gauge public opinion on legalization. While the results would cause no immediate change in law, they could send a message to state lawmakers about the popularity of marijuana reform with voters.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s already widely known that most Wisconsin voters support cannabis legalization. A poll released in March by Marquette Law School found that 61 percent of surveyed voters favored the reform<\/a>, including a majority of Republicans. In response, Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke (R) said legalization was \u201clikely\u201d to happen at some point<\/a>.<\/p>\n Yet because Wisconsin lacks a statewide initiative process, citizens can\u2019t enact the change themselves. And so far, the GOP-led legislature has failed to advance more modest reforms, such as decriminalization<\/a> or legalization of medical marijuana<\/a>.<\/p>\n Multiple cities and counties across the state\u00a0have strongly approved local, non-binding ballot referendums<\/a>\u00a0expressing support for marijuana reform<\/a>\u00a0in recent years.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we\u2019re trying to do here is show the strength of support,\u201d Dane County Supervisor Aaron Collins said of the local legalization referendum in November, according to The Cap Times<\/a>. \u201cWe know the majority of people in Wisconsin, according to polling, want marijuana legalized.\u201d<\/p>\n In Wisconsin\u2019s Dane County, voters previously approved a series of medical and adult-use legalization questions in 2010, 2014 and 2018 with support ranging from 64.5 percent to 76.4 percent.<\/p>\n A second Dane County referendum will ask whether people previously convicted for simple cannabis possession should have those records expunged. Possession of marijuana alone accounts for 57 percent of all drug arrests in the state, and Collins said that Black people in the county are four times as likely as white people to be arrested on possession charges.<\/p>\n Eau Claire County will also see adult-use legalization as an advisory referendum, according to WQOW<\/a>. Supervisor Judy Gatlin, who proposed the ballot question, said the reform would help cancer patients and veterans. \u201cMaybe they don\u2019t have a medical card,\u201d she said, \u201cbut they know what helps them.\u201d<\/p>\n Supervisors in Milwaukee County, the state\u2019s largest county by population, have also approved an advisory question for November\u2019s ballot, Urban Milwaukee<\/a> reported. Last year county supervisors passed a measure reducing the fine for possessing small amounts of cannabis to $1 under local law.<\/p>\n At the municipal level, officials in the cities of Appleton, Kenosha and Racine have also approved legalization referenda for November.<\/p>\n Appleton Common Councilmember Israel Del Toro said the votes would send a message to state lawmakers.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen multiple municipalities act together and voice their collective will of the residents that they are representing, Madison has a responsibility to listen,\u201d Del Toro said, according to the Appleton Post Crescent<\/a>.<\/p>\n A resolution placing the Kenosha\u2019s referendum on the ballot, approved last week, says legalization \u201cwould undercut the illicit market, and insure that marijuana use and sale are regulated and safe,\u201d Kenosha News<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n \u201cI was hoping that this, if passed in the City of Kenosha with a referendum, would help that process,\u201d said sponsor Alderperson Anthony Kennedy.<\/p>\n In Kenosha County, 88 percent of residents approved of legalization in a 2018 legalization referendum.<\/p>\n In Racine, meanwhile, Alderman CJ Rouse called the vote in November \u201ca litmus test of where our voters are at right now,\u201d according to the Racine Journal Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n At the county level in 2018, nearly 59 percent of Racine County voters expressed support for legalization in a similar referendum.<\/p>\n Legalization advocates at local NORML chapters have helped promote the referenda and shared sample wording with other supporters.<\/p>\n In Green Bay, meanwhile, the city\u2019s protection and policy committee reportedly rejected<\/a> a cannabis legalization referendum over concerns by some officials that running the ballot question would cost roughly $15,000 and have no impact on the law. \u201cI think there\u2019s ways that you can vocalize to your legislators for free via email [and] phone calls,\u201d said Alderperson Jennifer Grant. \u201cThere\u2019s ways to get loud without costing money.\u201d<\/p>\n Alderperson Craig Stevens said the money could be used to fill potholes instead.<\/p>\n In La Crosse County, supervisors also kept an advisory question off November\u2019s ballot due to cost, according to the La Crosse Tribune<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s silly to spend $5,000 on a referendum that we already know the answer to,\u201d Supervisor Dan Ferries said.<\/p>\n Supervisor Rob Abhraham, who said that he supports legalization, added: \u201cWhat we should be doing is electing state officials who will do what their constituents want them to do.\u201d<\/p>\n As it stands under Wisconsin law, marijuana possession is punishable by a maximum $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail for a first offense. People convicted of a subsequent offense can face a felony charge punishable by a maximum $10,000 fine and up to three and a half years in prison.<\/p>\n In August of last year, three senators separately filed legislation to\u00a0legalize cannabis for adult use in the state<\/a>.\u00a0In November, a bipartisan pair of legislators introduced a bill to\u00a0decriminalize low-level marijuana possession<\/a>. But so far the proposals have stalled in the Republican-controlled statehouse.<\/p>\n Gov. Tony Evers (D) tried to legalize recreational and medical marijuana\u00a0through his proposed state budget last year<\/a>, but a GOP-led legislative committee\u00a0stripped the cannabis language from the legislation<\/a>. Democrats\u00a0tried to add the provisions back<\/a>\u00a0through an amendment, but Republicans blocked the move.<\/p>\n The governor also recently vetoed a GOP-led bill that would have\u00a0significantly ramped up criminal penalties<\/a>\u00a0for people who use butane or similar fuels to extract marijuana.<\/p>\n Some Republicans filed a limited medical cannabis bill this year\u2014and it got a hearing on the unofficial marijuana holiday 4\/20<\/a>, but that came too late in the legislative session for lawmakers to actually vote on the measure.<\/p>\n Other Republican lawmakers have\u00a0filed bills to more modestly decriminalize marijuana possession<\/a>\u00a0in the state, but none of those proposals advanced during last year\u2019s session.<\/p>\n Evers held a virtual town hall event last year where\u00a0he discussed his cannabis proposal<\/a>, emphasizing that polling demonstrates that Wisconsin residents back the policy change.<\/p>\n Cannabis will also feature in local elections in a number of other states this fall. So far, activists in municipalities in Texas<\/a>, Ohio<\/a> and West Virginia<\/a> are working to put measures on the ballot to decriminalize cannabis possession locally\u2014with some of those proposals having already qualified. And unlike in Wisconsin, those votes could make a legal impact: While possession would still be classified as a misdemeanor in many cases, it would carry no monetary penalties or jail time.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, voters across the country may see drug policy reform measures on their statewide November ballots:<\/strong><\/p>\n Colorado voters will have the chance to\u00a0decide on a historic ballot initiative<\/a>\u00a0this November to legalize psychedelics and create licensed psilocybin \u201chealing centers\u201d where people can use the substance for therapeutic purposes.<\/p>\n In May, South Dakota officials certified that activists\u00a0turned in a sufficient number of signatures<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0qualify a marijuana legalization measure for the November ballot<\/a>.<\/p>\n Maryland lawmakers passed legislation this year, which the governor allowed to go into effect without his signature, that will\u00a0put the issue of cannabis legalization before voters<\/a>\u00a0this November.<\/p>\n In Arkansas, the secretary of state certified that activists turned in more than enough signatures to put a marijuana legalization initiative on the ballot<\/a>, but a state board is disputing the language of the measure. The case is now before the state Supreme Court.<\/p>\n North Dakota activists turned in what they believe to be enough signatures to\u00a0place a marijuana legalization initiative before voters<\/a>.<\/p>\n Oklahoma activists also said they\u2019ve submitted what they believe to be more than enough signatures to\u00a0qualify a marijuana legalization initiative<\/a>\u00a0for the November ballot.<\/p>\n Nebraska advocates recently submitted signatures for a\u00a0pair of medical cannabis legalization initiatives<\/a>. The campaign has faced several challenges along the way, including the loss of critical funding after a key donor passed away and a\u00a0court battle of the state\u2019s geographic requirements<\/a>\u00a0for ballot petitions.<\/p>\n A campaign to put cannabis legalization on the Missouri ballot may be in jeopardy, as early reporting shows that activists are\u00a0coming up short on the required signatures<\/a>\u00a0in key districts.<\/p>\n An initiative to legalize marijuana\u00a0will not appear on Ohio\u2019s November ballot<\/a>, the campaign behind the measure announced in May. But activists did reach a settlement with state officials in a legal challenge that will give them a chance to hit the ground running in 2023.<\/p>\n Michigan activists announced in June that they will no longer be pursuing\u00a0a statewide psychedelics legalization ballot initiative<\/a>\u00a0for this year\u2019s election and will instead focus on qualifying the measure to go before voters in 2024.<\/p>\n The campaign behind an effort to decriminalize drugs and expand treatment and recovery services in Washington State said in June that it has\u00a0halted its push to qualify an initiative<\/a>\u00a0for November\u2019s ballot.<\/p>\n While Wyoming activists said earlier this year that\u00a0they made solid progress in collecting signatures<\/a>\u00a0for a pair of ballot initiatives to decriminalize marijuana possession and legalize medical cannabis,\u00a0they didn\u2019t get enough to make the 2022 ballot deadline<\/a>\u00a0and will be aiming for 2024 while simultaneously pushing the legislature to advance reform even sooner.<\/p>\n In March, California activists announced that they\u00a0came up short on collecting enough signatures<\/a>\u00a0to qualify a measure to legalize psilocybin mushrooms for the state\u2019s November ballot, though they aren\u2019t giving up on a future election cycle bid.<\/p>\n Arkansas Marijuana Campaign Files Lawsuit To Put Legalization Measure On Ballot After State Board\u2019s Rejection<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan<\/a><\/p>\n The post Voters Across Wisconsin Will See Marijuana Questions On Their Ballots In November<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Wisconsin voters in at least half a dozen cities and counties will be asked on November\u2019s ballot whether they support legalizing, taxing and regulating cannabis in a manner similar to alcohol. In recent weeks, local governments in the counties of Dane, Eau Claire and Milwaukee, along with the cities ofContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56403"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56403"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56403\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56404,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56403\/revisions\/56404"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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\nRead More: Voters Across Wisconsin Will See Marijuana Questions On Their Ballots In November<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"