Bipartisan Bill Changes Pot Possession Penalties
Lighter penalties for much of the state but tougher for cities like Milwaukee, Madison.
A bipartisan proposal at the state Capitol would lighten penalties for marijuana possession in many parts of Wisconsin, but increase fines in a few of the state’s largest communities — including Milwaukee and Madison.
Under the plan, the state penalty for possessing up to 14 grams of marijuana would be reduced to a $100 civil forfeiture, similar to a speeding ticket. Current state law makes first-time marijuana possession a misdemeanor, with a penalty of up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail.
That would mean steeper penalties in some communities, and large cuts in others.
For example, Madison does not impose any penalties for marijuana possession under 28 grams for people over 18 years old and Milwaukee County only fines $1 for possession. The same $1 fine is in place in Eau Claire. According to a 2019 report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum, financial penalties in communities including Green Bay, Wauwatosa and West Allis are hundreds of dollars.
Speaking at a Tuesday press conference at the Capitol, Rep. Shae Sortwell, R-Two Rivers, one of the bill’s sponsors, said he believes the plan is one lawmakers with opinions on either end of the marijuana legalization spectrum can agree on.
“I believe that this bill that we have put together does our best to kind of pull together the best of both worlds, try to bring together all perspectives across the state to try to find some sort of middle ground where we can move forward,” he said.
Under current law, repeat marijuana possession charges are felonies, with penalties of up to three and a half years in prison and fines of up to $10,000. The bill would eliminate the increasing scale of penalties, including felony charges, for repeat possession offenses, as long as the repeat offenses involve less than 28 grams of marijuana. It would also limit the liability of employers that don’t do drug testing on employees.
“Too many people are dying and suffering because they don’t have access to a plant which is considered medicine in more than two-thirds of the states in the United States,” Ortiz-Velez said at Tuesday’s press event.
Ortiz-Velez also argued removing felony charges from repeat marijuana offenses would help remove barriers felons face to employment and housing across the state.
“What we should think about is whether or not we believe that small possession of marijuana really rises to a felonious act — it does not,” she said.
She also said marijuana charges have burdened the state’s legal system and cost taxpayers millions for enforcement measures.
A number of marijuana-related proposals have failed at the state Capitol in recent years. A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers has tried several times without success to pass a bill that would legalize medical marijuana in the state.
Gov. Tony Evers has proposed legalizing recreational marijuana and medical marijuana in his last two state budget proposals, but the GOP-controlled Legislature has rejected the plans.
Sortwell said Tuesday he hopes the new proposal gets a hearing before lawmakers during this legislative session. He said Assembly GOP leadership “didn’t give him a no” when asked about the plan’s prospects.
“There are a number of people in leadership, there are a number of people in Republican politics in general, that realize that there is a shifting position on this issue in the Republican Party, in Republicans overall,” he said.
Listen to the WPR report here.
Bipartisan proposal would change marijuana possession penalties in Wisconsin was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
More about the Legalizing of Marijuana
- Data Wonk: Will State Move to Legalize Marijuana? - Bruce Thompson - Sep 25th, 2024
- Data Wonk: Should Wisconsin Legalize Marijuana? - Bruce Thompson - Sep 18th, 2024
- Indigenous-Led Campaign Launches to Support Medical Marijuana - Isiah Holmes - Sep 4th, 2024
- How Delta-8 Impacts Marijuana Debate in Wisconsin - Richelle Wilson - Jun 18th, 2024
- Milwaukee Officials Praise Rescheduling of Cannabis by Biden - Isiah Holmes - May 20th, 2024
- What Will Wisconsin Do Now That Feds Are Moving to Ease Marijuana Restrictions? - Rich Kremer - May 2nd, 2024
- A Better Wisconsin Together Renews Call for Cannabis Legalization - A Better Wisconsin Together - Apr 20th, 2024
- Republicans’ Medical Marijuana Bill Is Likely Dead - Baylor Spears - Feb 18th, 2024
- The State of Politics: Why GOP Divided on Medical Marijuana - Steven Walters - Jan 15th, 2024
- Bill Decriminalizes Marijuana Possession Under 14 Grams - Rich Kremer - Jan 15th, 2024
Read more about Legalizing of Marijuana here