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
- A Day to Consider Legalizing Pot - Isiah Holmes - Apr 20th, 2020
- New ACLU Report: Black People Four Times More Likely to Get Arrested for Marijuana Possession in Wisconsin - American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin - Apr 20th, 2020
- ‘When, Not If’ Medical Marijuana Is Legalized - Corri Hess - Feb 4th, 2020
- State Residents Cross Border for Legal Pot - Corri Hess - Jan 3rd, 2020
- GOP Bill Legalizes Medical Marijuana - Shawn Johnson - Dec 11th, 2019
- The Cannabis Question: More People Using Pot as Medicine - Shayli Kipnis - Nov 9th, 2019
- The Cannabis Question: Bill Eases Burdens On Pot Offenders - Natalie Yahr - Nov 6th, 2019
- The Cannabis Question: Pot Possession Charges Cause Big Problems - Natalie Yahr - Nov 2nd, 2019
- Bill Would Decriminalize Pot Possession - Laurel White - Oct 30th, 2019
- Senator Larson Continues to Support Legalization and Decriminalization of Marijuana - State Sen. Chris Larson - Oct 30th, 2019
Read more about Legalizing of Marijuana here
Ain’t happenin’ here:
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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.
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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.