GOP Legislators Kill Medical Pot Proposal
Budget committee snuffs out Evers plan. It's “off the wall scary,” says Sen. Darling.
Sen. Alberta Darling. Photo by Coburn Dukehart / Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism.
Gov. Tony Evers‘ proposal to legalize medical marijuana in Wisconsin will not be included in the next state budget, according to two top GOP lawmakers.
The governor proposed legalizing medical marijuana and decriminalizing up to 25 grams of marijuana earlier this year.
But the leaders of the Legislature’s state budget committee said the proposal will not be approved as part of the state budget, as Evers wanted.
“When you read what he actually has in his budget, it’s really off the wall scary,” Darling said.
In addition to decriminalizing possession and sale of less than 25 grams of marijuana, Evers’ budget would also set state regulations for manufacturing and sales of medical marijuana at dispensaries.
Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, who co-chairs the Legislature’s state budget committee with Darling, said the plan should be its own bill, rather than an element of the state’s two-year spending plan.
“Something of that substance, in my opinion — no pun intended — needs a much larger conversation than being stuck into a 2,000-page document,” he said.
The governor has said people with certain medical conditions should be able to access marijuana for treatment and that decriminalization would help reduce the state’s prison population.
Listen to the WPR report here.
GOP Leaders: Evers’ Medical Marijuana Proposal Won’t Be Approved was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
More about the Legalizing of Marijuana
- High Time to Support Cannabis Legalization - State Sen. Melissa Agard - May 5th, 2021
- Op Ed: Senate Leader Blocks Marijuana Reform - Iuscely Flores - Apr 27th, 2021
- Cannabis Backers Switch Focus to Local Laws - Isiah Holmes - Apr 26th, 2021
- It’s Time for Legal Cannabis in Wisconsin - A Better Wisconsin Together - Apr 20th, 2021
- Evers, Advocates Discuss Justice System Reform, Legalizing Pot - Graham Kilmer - Apr 17th, 2021
- GOP State Senate Leader Dismisses Marijuana Legalization - Laurel White - Apr 16th, 2021
- Thousands of Wisconsinites Sign Petition in Support of Cannabis Legalization - State Sen. Melissa Agard - Mar 29th, 2021
- MKE County: Board Changes Pot Possession Fine to $1 - Graham Kilmer - Mar 26th, 2021
- County Board Adopts Resolution Reducing Marijuana Possession Penalty - Sup. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez - Mar 25th, 2021
- City Hall: Proposal Ends Fines for Pot Possession - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 23rd, 2021
Read more about Legalizing of Marijuana here
Ain’t happenin’ here:
Toking
Poking
Blazing
Cheeching
Smoking trees
Mowing the grass
Biting one’s lips
“Something of that substance, in my opinion — no pun intended — needs a much larger conversation than being stuck into a 2,000-page document,” he said.
Well then Mr. Nygren, introduce that bill.
Blasting
Blowing
Burning one down
Chasing
Firing one up
Going loco
Hitting the hay
Torching up
Getting the wind
Senator Darling’s perception of “off the wall scarey” may have more to do with her fear that the Evers proposal could be a crowd pleaser than with her fear of marijuana.
Amazing the GOP has a problem putting this item into the budget bill, when for the last 8 years they had no problem burying all sorts of major stuff in the budget.