Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers expressed his openness to a more limited medical marijuana legalization proposal being promoted by Republicans. While Evers has been an advocate for full legalization of recreational marijuana, he acknowledged that accomplishing it in one step may not be feasible at the moment. In an interview with The Associated Press, Evers stated, “I would think that getting it all done in one fell swoop would be more thoughtful as far as meeting the needs of Wisconsinites that have asked for it. But if that’s what we can accomplish right now, I’ll be supportive of that.”
Republicans in Wisconsin have been working on a medical marijuana bill behind closed doors for years, and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos recently announced their plan to unveil it this month. The proposed legislation is expected to be limited and modeled after the medical marijuana law in neighboring Minnesota before it moved to full legalization.
While Evers expressed his support for a limited medical marijuana program, he admitted that he had not yet seen the Republican proposal. This move by the governor marks a departure from his previous calls for the legalization of all uses of marijuana, including medical and recreational.
Wisconsin currently remains an outlier nationally, as only 38 states have legalized medical marijuana, and 24 have legalized recreational marijuana. The momentum for legalization in Wisconsin has been growing, especially as neighboring states have relaxed their marijuana laws. Polls conducted by Marquette University Law School have consistently shown strong support among Wisconsin residents for legalizing marijuana use over the years.
The discussion around marijuana legalization has been a topic of interest in various states, and Wisconsin’s potential move towards a limited medical marijuana program reflects the ongoing debates surrounding the issue. As the proposal is unveiled and further discussed, it will be interesting to see how it aligns with public opinion and whether it can garner bipartisan support in the state legislature.
