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Marijuana leaves repeating pattern
In 2014, Mary Felzkowski was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer for the second time. The Republican senator from Tomahawk worked closely with her oncologist and now has a clean bill of health. Medical marijuana, which is still illegal in Wisconsin, was not among her therapies.
“I talked to my doctor about medical marijuana,” Felzkowski says. “He said it’s not a miracle drug, but it is another tool in the tool box. Why are we okay if the FDA approves a drug and not okay with a natural product with no side effects? That makes no sense.”
To that end, Felzkowski and Rep. Patrick Snyder (R-Schofield) resurrected a bill this past January to legalize marijuana in a liquid or oil form for medical use. The State Legislature did not act on the bill before adjourning for the year on March 8, but that’s not stopping Felzkowski from holding public hearings on April 20 at the State Capitol in Madison with the goal of eventually legalizing medical marijuana.
“The bill as its written will likely not be anything that we get passed, but at least it will start the conversation,” she says.
Wisconsin does, indeed, stand alone in the Midwest in its opposition to legalizing medical marijuana, which is approved for use in 38 states. Neighbors Iowa and Minnesota permit medical marijuana in some form, while Illinois and Michigan have full legalization, allowing both medical and recreational cannabis usage. Both Democratic Governor Tony Evers and Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos favor medical marijuana, while Sen. Melissa Agard (D-Madison) believes cannabis should be fully legalized in all forms for adults. But their support apparently was not enough to sway the legislature to take up Felzkowski’s bill, which made its second appearance this year.
Organizers of the April 20 hearing expect a large turnout of both supporters and opponents despite the fact that the Legislature will not resume until January 2023. Felzkowski hopes the public will take this opportunity to make their case for or against legalization.
“I want to hear all sides of the argument, from law enforcement issues to advocates,” explains the senator, who earlier was instrumental in helping legalize the use of CBD oil in the state.
Lost Revenue
Drafters of the bill studied marijuana legislation in both Michigan and Minnesota to estimate the financial impact of legalization in Wisconsin. The legislators anticipate as much as $21 million in marijuana sales in the Badger State, with a 10% excise tax income to the state of $2 million. However, much greater revenues may come from application and licensure fees for both wholesale distributors and retail dispensaries measured against the relative size of the population and number of allowable legal outlets. Even at modest estimates, that income could total as much as $31 million, as well as additional sales and use tax revenues of $2.2 million, figures that compare favorably to the state’s first-year one-time cost of $2.9 million to set up the program. But Felzkowski says this is not about the money.
“This is designed to help people,” she says. “In others states revenue issues have led to the creation of ‘black markets’, and I don’t want that to happen here. I want this to be available to people with serious conditions who need it.”
Democrats, however, are not amused that the hearing is scheduled for 4/20, a not-so-secret code the refers to the approximate time of day when students would return home from school and light up their first bowl. They believe it’s just a Republican stunt to convince the public they are on their side when it comes to legalization. Felzkowski says that’s not where her initiative is coming from.
“In my district we believe that people have the right to do things without government permission,” Felzkowski says. “There are more and more people looking for natural alternatives to drugs without side-effects, and we’re finding more people who are open to the conversation.”
