GREENFIELD – Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos in an interview said legislative leaders have just begun talking about what kind of medical marijuana proposal they could support and suggested Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ plans to introduce a state budget that legalizes marijuana for recreational use could deter Republican support.
Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel last week his caucus, a longstanding hurdle to legalizing marijuana in Wisconsin, is “pretty close” to supporting a medical marijuana program. Vos said this week discussions have just begun and the two houses are nowhere near an agreement yet.
Like LeMahieu, Vos said he would only support a medical marijuana program aimed at treating chronic pain.
“I want to make sure that, at least from my perspective, we are crystal clear this is not about a pathway toward recreational (marijuana), it’s not about creating a new industry with all kinds of new revenue for the state,” he told the Journal Sentinel at a swearing-in ceremony for newly elected Republican state Rep. Bob Donovan (R-Greenfield). “It’s about making sure that people who suffer with a chronic disease get relief in a way that helps their quality of life be better.”
But Vos also suggested Evers’ plans to propose legalizing recreational marijuana in his 2023-25 state budget could result in Republican lawmakers abandoning support for medical marijuana.
“I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that it is helping the people who have a chronic disease, not creating a pathway or a gateway to recreational marijuana somewhere in the future. I think — I know our caucus would not support that. I don’t think it’d be good for the state,” Vos said.
“What we said last time around (to the governor), if you keep saying this is about recreational marijuana, you’re going to poison the well and make it really hard to get medical marijuana. So my hope is he backs off that and doesn’t include it in the state budget. Maybe that’ll be a sign that we can find a common consensus.”
Evers during his reelection campaign said he would again propose legalizing marijuana in the upcoming budget, a plan that would require users to be 21 to purchase and is estimated to generate $166 million in revenue that Evers wants to use to help fund schools.Â
In a statement, Evers’ spokeswoman Britt Cudaback said Evers doesn’t have plan to change his marijuana proposal, citing popular support for the idea according to recent state polling.
“Gov. Evers is among the overwhelming majority of Wisconsinites who believe we should legalize and regulate marijuana, much like we do with alcohol. The governor ran for re-election — and won — promising to propose legalizing marijuana in his next budget, and he will keep the promise he made to the people of Wisconsin,” Cudaback said.
Sixty-four percent of Wisconsinites support legalizing marijuana for any use, according to October polling by the Marquette University Law School. More than 80% of Wisconsinites supported the idea of a medical marijuana program, according to 2019 polling.
More:Will President Joe Biden’s pot pardon push Gov. Tony Evers to turn his attention to thousands of similar state convictions?
Wisconsin is in the minority of states that have not legalized marijuana use in some form. Thirty-seven states have medical marijuana programs, including every state that borders Wisconsin except Iowa.
In 2018, voters in 16 counties and two cities voiced support for the legalization of medical or recreational marijuana through advisory referendum questions on their ballots that year. The referendums solicited opinions on legalizing personal use for adults age 21 years or older.Â
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