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Wisconsin senators on Wednesday took up a\u00a0newly filed Republican-led bill that would legalize medical marijuana<\/a> in the state.<\/p>\n Just one week after Senate President Mary Felzkowski (R) and Sen. Patrick Testin (R) filed the legislation, the Senate Health Committee debated the proposal at a hearing, taking testimony from patients and other advocates. Members did not vote on the bill, but the chair said the panel would be advancing it \u201cfairly quickly,\u201d potentially at its next meeting in November.<\/p>\n An Assembly companion version was also filed by Assemblymember Patrick Snyder (R) and lawmakers, but it has not yet advanced in their chamber.<\/p>\n \u201cIllness does not discriminate. It affects people from all walks of life. There is no doubt that each and every one of us knows someone that has suffered through an illness and struggled to find ways to make it through each day,\u201d Testin said at the hearing, describing how his grandfather used medical cannabis to treat cancer symptoms decades ago. \u201cWhile there are often medications that doctors can prescribe to help combat these illnesses, many come with side effects that can make living a normal life much more difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn some cases, the only option for pain relief is to take opioids on a long-term basis, which can lead to a whole host of other challenges that already afflict our state and our residents,\u201d he said. \u201cHowever, there is an alternative.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBoth red and blue states alike have been able to come together and recognize that this is a viable option for patients within their respective states, regardless of the partisan makeup of that that state,\u201d the senator said. \u201cMedicine is never a one-size-fits-all, and it\u2019s time for Wisconsin to join the majority of the country and add another option, which may help patients find relief they need.\u201d<\/p>\n Felzkowski shared her story of overcoming breast cancer, struggling with the side effects of opioids and other prescription medicines she was prescribed and then asking her oncologist what they thought about the idea of legalizing medical cannabis. The doctor told her that while marijuana is not a miracle cure, it\u2019s another tool in the toolbox that could benefit many patients.<\/p>\n \u201cWisconsin is on an island surrounded by neighboring states that allow the use of medical cannabis products. These products are not for everyone\u2014but for others that use opioids or other medications to treat their health condition, the side effects of these drugs can be debilitating,\u201d the Senate president said. \u201cSomeone who suffers from a serious health condition should not have to make the choice to travel to another state or break the law so that they can try an alternative medicine for relief. Unfortunately, this is a position in which we put many Wisconsinites.\u201d<\/p>\n Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R), chair of the Health Committee, said that, as a healthcare provider herself, she\u2019s heard stories about the medical potential of cannabis \u201call the time.\u201d And while some providers might not want to participate in a medical marijuana program, \u201cthere are many that do\u2026because we know our patients are going and purchasing these products to manage their symptoms from other states.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI will also say, as someone that does prescribe medications, I would rather my patients be upfront and truthful on what products they\u2019re using to manage their symptoms, than having to guess,\u201d she said. \u201cThere are a lot of people that will not come out and be straightforward because they\u2019re afraid of consequences, and I hope that this bill would eliminate that fear that people are using for medicinal purposes to manage their conditions, so that individuals who are prescribing can take that into consideration when thinking of dosing and contraindications.\u201d<\/p>\n Pressed on the lack of employment protections for would-be medical marijuana patients in her legislation, Felzkowski said \u201ceverything that\u2019s done in this bill is to hopefully to get it to pass through both houses.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI always say if I was queen for a day, I\u2019d probably write a whole bunch of legislation differently,\u201d she said. \u201cBut we have to make sure that everybody in our caucuses are comfortable with legislation.\u201d One witness who testified was Norah Lowe, a 17-year-old with a rare neurodevelopment condition known as Rett syndrome, who spoke to members through computer audio given her associated speech impairment.<\/p>\n \u201cMy friends with Rett syndrome who use medical cannabis actually sleep through the night and see extensive relief from painful muscle spasms. Why can\u2019t I get relief from mine?\u201d she asked. \u201cMy friends who have access to cannabis see profound improvements in their therapies and communication skills. Why can\u2019t I experience the same types of advancement of skills?\u201d<\/p>\n She was accompanied by her mother, Megan Lowe, who also spoke to the benefits of medical marijuana that she experienced while going through treatment for breast cancer.<\/p>\n \u201cI used it to find relief from my hot flashes, my insomnia, my crippling anxiety, my neuropathy, my restless legs, my itchy skin\u2014the list goes on,\u201d she said<\/a>. \u201cCannabis made my cancer treatments and recovery bearable so that I could go back and returning to caregiving for her.\u201d<\/p>\n Wisconsin\u2019s GOP Assembly speaker said earlier this month that he hopes lawmakers in the state can \u201cfind a consensus\u201d on legislation to legalize medical marijuana<\/a>. But he added that the new cannabis bill filed by his Republican leadership counterpart in the Senate is \u201cunlikely\u201d to pass his chamber because it is \u201cway too broad and way too wide-ranging.\u201d<\/p>\n As the 2025 session was set to get underway, Felzkowski said she was\u00a0\u201choping to have a conversation\u201d in the legislature about legalizing medical marijuana<\/a>\u00a0this year\u2014though the Republican Assembly speaker still represented \u201can obstacle,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n The Senate leader has previously sponsored medical cannabis legislation in past sessions, formally introduced the new legislation<\/a>.<\/p>\n Here are the key provisions of the Senate president\u2019s latest medical marijuana\u00a0bill<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Meanwhile, a Republican candidate for governor of Wisconsin said in July that\u00a0he was \u201copen to considering different opportunities\u201d when it comes to legalizing medical or adult-use marijuana<\/a>\u00a0in the state, though he has provided little in the way of specifics so far.<\/p>\n On the Democratic side, current Gov. Tony Evers (D), who supports legalizing cannabis, will not be seeking re-election. But he said in June that\u00a0if his party can take control of the legislature, the state can \u201cfinally\u201d legalize marijuana<\/a>\u00a0so that residents don\u2019t have to go to neighboring Illinois to visit its adult-use market.<\/p>\n Separately in June, a poll from Marquette Law School found that\u00a0two in three Wisconsin voters support legalizing marijuana<\/a>.<\/p>\n The survey found that support for cannabis reform has generally increased over time since the institution first started tracking public opinion on legalization in 2013, with 67 percent of voters now backing the policy change. That\u2019s 17 percentage points higher than the 2013 results.<\/p>\n Democrats are the most likely to favor legalizing cannabis, at 88 percent, followed by independents (79 percent). However, a majority of Republicans (56 percent) said they\u2019re still opposed to adult-use legalization.<\/p>\n Underscoring the importance of party control, the state\u2019s Republican-controlled Senate and Assembly this summer rejected another attempt to legalize marijuana,\u00a0defeating amendments to budget legislation that would have ended prohibition in the state<\/a>\u00a0and established new medical and recreational cannabis programs.<\/p>\n Evers has\u00a0routinely attempted to change that policy as part of his budget requests<\/a>\u2014and Democratic leaders have similarly pushed for reform.<\/p>\n Republicans in the legislature\u00a0also cut the marijuana provisions from a state budget proposal in May<\/a>, as they\u2019ve done in past sessions.<\/p>\n Despite Republicans\u2019\u00a0move\u00a0to\u00a0cut\u00a0legalization from the budget legislation,\u00a0party leaders recently acknowledged that the debate over medical marijuana legalization is \u201cnot going to go away,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0and there\u2019s hope it can be resolved this session.<\/p>\n \u2014 \u201cI don\u2019t think anyone is naive enough to think that marijuana and THC products aren\u2019t present in the state of Wisconsin when they are readily available over state lines, so I think we need to come to an answer on this,\u201d Assembly Majority Leader Rep. Tyler August (R) said in February. \u201cI\u2019m hopeful that we can.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf we\u2019re going to call it medical marijuana, it needs to be treated like a pharmaceutical. But the marijuana debate is going to be something that is not going to go away,\u201d Sen. Dan Feyen (R), the assistant majority leader, said at the time. \u201cThe margins are tighter.\u201d<\/p>\n There have been repeated attempts to legalize medical marijuana in the legislature over recent years, including the introduction of legislation from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R) that\u00a0called for a limited program facilitated through state-run dispensaries<\/a>. That proved controversial among his Republican colleagues, however, and it ultimately stalled out last year.<\/p>\n Evers previewed his plan to\u00a0include marijuana legalization in his budget in January<\/a>, while also arguing that residents of the state should be allowed to propose new laws by putting binding questions on the ballot\u2014citing the fact that issues such as cannabis reform enjoy sizable bipartisan support while the GOP-controlled legislature has repeatedly refused to act.<\/p>\n Previously, in 2022, the governor signed an executive order to convene a special legislative session with the specific goal of\u00a0giving people the right to put citizen initiatives on the ballot<\/a>, raising hopes among advocates that cannabis legalization could eventually be decided by voters. The GOP legislature did not adopt the proposal, however.<\/p>\n Evers said in December that\u00a0marijuana reform is one of several key priorities the state should pursue<\/a>\u00a0in the 2025 session, as lawmakers work with a budget surplus.<\/p>\n Days after he made the remarks, a\u00a0survey found the reform would be welcomed by voters<\/a>\u00a0in rural parts of the state. Nearly two thirds (65 percent) said they support legalizing cannabis.<\/p>\n Last May, the governor said he was \u201chopeful\u201d that the November 2024 election would lead to Democratic control of the legislature, in part because\u00a0he argued it would position the state to finally legalize cannabis<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been working hard over the last five years, several budgets, to make that happen,\u201d he said at the time. \u201cI know we\u2019re surrounded by states with recreational marijuana, and we\u2019re going to continue to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n A Wisconsin Democratic Assemblymember tried to force a vote on a medical cannabis compromise proposal last year, as an amendment to an unrelated kratom bill, but he told Marijuana Moment he suspects leadership\u00a0intentionally pulled that legislation from the agenda at the last minute to avoid a showdown<\/a>\u00a0on the issue.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the state Department of Revenue released a fiscal estimate of the economic impact of a legalization bill from then-Sen. Melissa Agard (D) in 2023, projecting that\u00a0the reform would generate nearly $170 million annually in tax revenue<\/a>.<\/p>\n A legislative analysis requested by lawmakers estimated that\u00a0Wisconsin residents spent more than $121 million on cannabis in Illinois alone<\/a>\u00a0in 2022, contributing $36 million in tax revenue to the neighboring state.<\/p>\n Evers and other Democrats have since at least last January\u00a0insisted that they would be willing to enact a modest medical marijuana program<\/a>, even if they\u2019d prefer more comprehensive reform.<\/p>\n Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n The post Wisconsin Senators Hold Hearing On GOP Leader\u2019s New Medical Marijuana Legalization Bill, With Plan To Vote On It \u2018Fairly Quickly\u2019<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Wisconsin senators on Wednesday took up a\u00a0newly filed Republican-led bill that would legalize medical marijuana in the state. Just one week after Senate President Mary Felzkowski (R) and Sen. Patrick Testin (R) filed the legislation, the Senate Health Committee debated the proposal at a hearing, taking testimony from patients andContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":83903,"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\/83902"}],"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\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=83902"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83902\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83904,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83902\/revisions\/83904"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/83903"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=83902"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=83902"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=83902"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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\nRead More: Wisconsin Senators Hold Hearing On GOP Leader\u2019s New Medical Marijuana Legalization Bill, With Plan To Vote On It \u2018Fairly Quickly\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"