Governor Evers has announced that he will put marijuana reform into his first budget next month. He proposes “to legalize medical marijuana, decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use, establish an expungement procedure for individuals who have completed their sentences or probation for possession and align Wisconsin’s laws on cannabidiol, also known as CBD oil, with federal standards.” Wisconsin would join 33 other states that have reformed marijuana laws based on scientific medical evidence.
Governor Evers also addressed the social justice implications of our backward marijuana laws saying: “Wisconsin has the highest incarceration rate in the country for black men, and drug-related crimes account for as many as 75-85% of all inmates in our prisons.” This is a very important first step in dealing with mass incarceration.
Also, if Wisconsin wants to be a leader in the high-skilled, high-income 21st century world economy, we can’t be locking up individuals for smoking a joint and destroying their careers when, across the border in Illinois, medical marijuana is legal.
Our Voters Made It Clear: We Want Change
In last November’s election, referenda about legalizing marijuana were on the ballots in 16 counties—rural counties and urban counties, red counties and blue counties—along with two additional cities. The voters spoke loudly and clearly: Overall, nearly 80% of the voters in all of the 16 county elections where medical marijuana was on the ballot supported legalizing medical marijuana. Other states that have legalized medical marijuana have found other major health benefits in addition to the well-known medical conditions that were positively treated with medical marijuana, including cancer, glaucoma, child seizures and chronic pain. Veterans suffering from PTSD found significant relief and people fighting opioid addiction have had very positive results from medical marijuana. The evidence for the health benefits of medical marijuana is clear; the reasons for opposing its legalization are not.
Contact State Senator Alberta Darling
Our Northshore State Senator, Alberta Darling, has been dancing around the issue. According to Monday’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, she was quoted in January saying that she didn’t think “there is strong support in the legislature yet.” Alberta Darling has been in the legislature for more than 25 years and is co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee, the most powerful committee in the legislature, which puts her in a major leadership position. If Alberta Darling would be willing to help veterans, cancer patients, the individuals fighting opioid addiction and the children suffering from seizures by strongly supporting this legislation, people in the state capitol believe it would have a greater than 90% chance of passing. The ball is in Senator Darling’s court.
Unfortunately, despite Darling’s leadership position, she appears afraid to lead. She is also apparently unwilling to follow the nearly 80% of Wisconsin voters who want marijuana reform.
Senator, you can lead, you can follow, or you could just get out of the way.
It’s important that Senator Darling understands that there is broad-based support, and that younger, older, Republican, Democratic, urban and suburban voters all support this science-based legislation by a four-to-one margin. Please contact Sen. Alberta Darling and politely ask her to support Governor Tony Evers’ Marijuana Reform Legislation.
Her contact information is Sen.Darling@legis.wisconsin.gov; and her office number is 608-266-5830.
