Wisconsin Republicans Unveil State Medical Marijuana Proposal

Tuesday, January 9th, 2024 -- 10:00 AM

(Anya van Wagtendonk, Wisconsin Public Radio) Wisconsin would launch a small-scale, state-run medical marijuana program under a GOP proposal that lawmakers say will not lead to recreational usage.

According to Anya van Wagtendonk with Wisconsin Public Radio, the announcement comes as Wisconsin has become something of an island in the upper Midwest, where several neighboring states have legalized cannabis for full recreational usage.

Nationwide, 38 states and the District of Columbia have some type of medical marijuana law, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Under the proposal, the state would operate five medical dispensaries across the state, according to Rep. Jon Plumer, R-Lodi, who co-authored the plan.

Users would be limited to those with certain diagnosed medical conditions, such as cancer, seizure conditions, multiple sclerosis and severe chronic pain and nausea. State-licensed pharmacists would dispense the products, which would include edibles and oils, but not smokable products.

Those products would use marijuana grown and processed by independent entities who would receive state licenses. "We want to make this available to people, but we want to have tight controls on it as well," said Plumer at a press conference announcing the proposal on Monday, where he also suggested that the program could eventually expand beyond just five dispensaries depending on demand and outcomes.

It's a far cry from what many Democrats, including Gov. Tony Evers, have called for. Evers has proposed full recreational legalization in his budgets, which Republicans have called a non-starter.

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