Photo credit: Mary Langenfeld
Alan Robinson
Alan Robinson, a U.S. Navy veteran and executive director of the Wisconsin chapter of National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), isn’t afraid to point to the elephants in the room—or in this case, the Wisconsin State Capitol—that are hindering decriminalization of cannabis, on his new radio show, Wiscannabis Radio. The program airs every Wednesday from 6 to 7 p.m. on WRRD Talk Radio 101.7 FM or 1510 AM in Milwaukee. It’s also on 92.7 FM and 1580 AM in the Madison market.
“I think that the public is owed answers from [Republican State Assembly Speaker] Robin Vos, because he has been presented with bill after bill after bill that addresses cannabis. He has said no,” Robinson says, adding that part of the impetus behind Wiscannabis Radio to qualify for press credentials to get an answer from Vos directly as to why he, along with Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, are delaying further cannabis legalization. “You can’t run from the people.”
Wiscannabis Radio came about after Robinson, who had been kicking around the idea of a podcast, had met Talk 101.7 FM founder Mike Crute via social media. He says Crute had been looking for more block programming. Robinson thought it would be a great opportunity to dispel myths surrounding cannabis conversations. “If we can present accurate information from credible sources, then we stand a good chance of beating back the lies and misinformation that some politicians would like the public to believe,” Robinson says.
Wiscannabis Radio launched June 3, 2020. Robinson had had a format for a show in the works since November 2019, but the murder of Minneapolis resident George Floyd has brought the topic of decriminalization to the forefront, further amplifying the need for racial justice, including the state’s and our nation’s cannabis laws.
June programming focused on decriminalization, confronting brutal past and present racist drug policies that disproportionately affect Black Americans and their communities. Guests on his June 3 inaugural show included Democratic State Rep Melissa Sargent, who has championed assembly bills to fully legalize marijuana in Wisconsin, and Jenn Michelle Pedini, executive director of Virginia’s NORML chapter. Other guests included Margeaux Bruner from the Minority Cannabis Business Association, a nonprofit created specifically to progress the cannabis industry by increasing diversity; and Lafayette Country Supervisor Kriss Marion, who discussed the importance of cannabis to farmers and the 2019 Lafayette County Enforcement Committee’s approval of prematurely banning of marijuana establishments in the county.
Milwaukee County 12th District Supervisor Sylvia Ortiz-Velez recently talked about medical marijuana, as well as her proposal to grow hemp at Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservancy ( “The Domes”). Robinson’s mother, who suffers from arthritis and could greatly benefit from medical marijuana, was a guest, as was Dr. Carmen Jones, a Las Vegas-based medical cannabis physician. Future topics that Robinson will explore include recreational cannabis, medical cannabis and the history of prohibition.
Robinson self-funds Wiscannabis Radio and is taking sponsors, but anyone who signs on has to agree with his mission. “It’s very important that Black voices are not muted and not controlled,” he emphasizes.
Wisconsin Voters Underestimated
Some people believe that cannabidiol (CBD), which has become renowned for its health benefits and has gotten people accustomed to seeing pot leaves and green crosses on dispensary signage, is an icebreaker for breaking down cannabis stigmas. But Robinson disagrees.
“The vast majority of Wisconsin voters are educated about cannabis. I think it’s really our elected officials that are behind the curve. I personally see CBD as a test run,” he says, adding that many CBD retailers and farmers are practicing getting their distribution networks and fields set up with low THC in anticipation of further legalization. He adds that the implementation of CBD market has left Black people out.
He sees programs such as Ortiz-Velez’s idea to grow hemp in The Domes as an opportunity to repair some of the financial injustices that have been wrought upon African American urban communities. “This would get urban residents involved in farming and creating a pipeline between rural Wisconsinites and urban Wisconsinites, generating revenue that feeds everybody. When I hear about programs like that, I get excited, and that’s why she was on my show.”
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