Two in three Wisconsin voters support legalizing marijuana, according to a new poll that comes amid another call for reform by the state’s Democratic governor.

The survey from Marquette Law School shows that support for cannabis reform has generally increased over time since the institution first started tracking public opinion on legalization in 2013, with 67 percent of voters now backing the policy change.

That’s 17 percentage points higher than the 2013 results. Democrats are the most likely to favor legalizing cannabis, at 88 percent, followed by independents (79 percent). However, a majority of Republicans (56 percent) said they’re still opposed to adult-use legalization.

“Support for legalization grew to more than 60 percent in 2022, where it has remained since,” the survey—which involved interviews with 873 Wisconsin registered voters from June 13-19—says. The margin of error was +/-4.7 percentage points.

While marijuana reform has been consistently blocked in the GOP-controlled legislature, Gov. Tony Evers (D) recently said that if Democrats take control of the Assembly and Senate now that new “fair” district maps have been set, the state can “finally” legalize marijuana so that residents don’t have to go to neighboring Illinois to patronize its adult-use market.

“If we want to finally end the obstruction of Madison, we have to get to work—and we can’t wait. We have to start today,” he said. “If we want majorities that will finally get things done in the legislature, then our work starts right now.”

Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein (D) also briefly touched on the issue at the Democratic Party of Wisconsin’s 2025 convention earlier this month, saying “we will also legalize cannabis” among other priorities in the Democratic agenda if the party wins a legislative majority in next year’s elections.

The governor and top Democratic senator’s comments came about a month after Republicans cut key provisions from a state budget proposal from Evers, including plans to legalize and regulate marijuana.

The actions are a repeat of two years ago, when GOP members of the same committee removed proposals to legalize cannabis for recreational and medical use from the governor’s biennial executive budget at that time.

Evers included the latest marijuana legalization plan in his biennial budget request to lawmakers in February, projecting at the time that the change would result in “$58.1 million in revenue in fiscal year 2026-27 and growing amounts in future years.”

Under current Wisconsin law, cannabis is illegal for both recreational and medical purposes.

The legalization proposal would have imposed a 15 percent wholesale excise tax and a 10 percent retail excise tax on recreational cannabis products. It would additionally “create a process for individuals serving sentences or previously convicted of marijuana-related crimes to have an opportunity to repeal or reduce their sentences for nonviolent minor offenses.”

The companion bills that were filed in tandem with the governor’s budget request stipulate that all revenue collected from the proposed cannabis taxes will be deposited into the state general fund.

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Despite Republicans’ move to cut legalization from the budget legislation, party leaders recently acknowledged that the debate over medical marijuana legalization is “not going to go away,” and there’s hope it can be resolved this session.

“I don’t think anyone is naive enough to think that marijuana and THC products aren’t present in the state of Wisconsin when they are readily available over state lines, so I think we need to come to an answer on this,” Assembly Majority Leader Rep. Tyler August (R) said in February. “I’m hopeful that we can.”

“If we’re going to call it medical marijuana, it needs to be treated like a pharmaceutical. But the marijuana debate is going to be something that is not going to go away,” Sen. Dan Feyen (R), the assistant majority leader, said at the time. “The margins are tighter.”

There have been repeated attempts to legalize medical marijuana in the legislature over recent years, including the introduction of legislation from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R) that called for a limited program facilitated through state-run dispensaries. That proved controversial among his Republican colleagues, however, and it ultimately stalled out last year.

Evers previewed his plan to include marijuana legalization in his budget in January, while also arguing that residents of the state should be allowed to propose new laws by putting binding questions on the ballot—citing the fact that issues such as cannabis reform enjoy sizable bipartisan support while the GOP-controlled legislature has repeatedly refused to act.

Previously, in 2022, the governor signed an executive order to convene a special legislative session with the specific goal of giving people the right to put citizen initiatives on the ballot, raising hopes among advocates that cannabis legalization could eventually be decided by voters. The GOP legislature did not adopt the proposal, however.

Evers said in December that marijuana reform is one of several key priorities the state should pursue in the 2025 session, as lawmakers work with a budget surplus.

Days after he made the remarks, a survey found the reform would be welcomed by voters in rural parts of the state. Nearly two thirds (65 percent) said they support legalizing cannabis.

Last May, the governor said he was “hopeful” that the November 2024 election would lead to Democratic control of the legislature, in part because he argued it would position the state to finally legalize cannabis.

“We’ve been working hard over the last five years, several budgets, to make that happen,” he said at the time. “I know we’re surrounded by states with recreational marijuana, and we’re going to continue to do it.”

A Wisconsin Democratic Assemblymember tried to force a vote on a medical cannabis compromise proposal last year, as an amendment to an unrelated kratom bill, but he told Marijuana Moment he suspects leadership intentionally pulled that legislation from the agenda at the last minute to avoid a showdown on the issue.

Meanwhile, the state Department of Revenue released a fiscal estimate of the economic impact of a legalization bill from then-Sen. Melissa Agard (D) in 2023, projecting that the reform would generate nearly $170 million annually in tax revenue.

A legislative analysis requested by lawmakers estimated that Wisconsin residents spent more than $121 million on cannabis in Illinois alone in 2022, contributing $36 million in tax revenue to the neighboring state.

Evers and other Democrats have since at least last January insisted that they would be willing to enact a modest medical marijuana program, even if they’d prefer more comprehensive reform.

Marijuana Opponents ‘Have Lost’ The Debate, GOP Senator Says, Arguing ‘It’s Time’ To Regulate It Like Alcohol And Tobacco

Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan.

GOP senator: Regulate marijuana like alcohol; Bill to increase hemp THC limit; Survey: Cannabis industry workers happy; OH legalization change delay

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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW

The U.S. House of Representatives approved amendments to let Department of Veterans Affairs doctors recommend medical cannabis and to support research on the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said marijuana legalization opponents “have lost” the debate and that “it’s time” to create a regulatory framework treating cannabis “the same way that we do with alcohol and tobacco” so states can set their own policies without federal intervention.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) filed a bill to triple the amount of THC that can legally be in hemp and to make other changes to federal rules for the crop to address industry concerns.

The Department of Homeland Security is denying claims a Norwegian tourist was denied U.S. entry over a meme about Vice President J.D. Vance on his phone, instead pointing to “admitted drug use”—which the man says was two instances of cannabis consumption in places where it is legal.

Hourly workers in the marijuana industry rank at the top of the list of “happiest” employees across multiple sectors, according to a new survey from Deputy—with more than 9 in 10 reporting a “positive sentiment” in their job.

The Ohio House Judiciary Committee canceled another hearing on a bill to revise the voter-approved marijuana legalization law amid Republican disagreements, with a key lawmaker saying no changes will be made until at least the fall.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit upheld an Arkansas hemp product restriction law, appearing to contradict arguments that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) made days earlier to justify his veto of hemp ban legislation in his state.

The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission is expected to consider a proposed memorandum of agreement with other agencies that advocates say is an “intentional step” to “absolutely destroy patient access” on Thursday.

/ FEDERAL

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is proposing to continue including marijuana related businesses in its Bank Secrecy Act/Money Laundering Risk Assessment data collection program amid other changes.

The U.S. Sentencing Commission published a fact sheet on prison contraband, including marijuana and other drugs.

/ STATES

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) used his line-item veto to cancel certain funding for the Cannabis Control Division.

Florida’s agriculture commissioner said officials seized nearly 11,000 hemp products for alleged violations of child-protection standards for packaging, labeling and marketing.

The chairman of the North Carolina House Rules Committee, which is playing a key role in legislation to restrict hemp products, is also the president of a hemp manufacturing and distribution company.

An Alabama senator filed a bill to ban all hemp-derived THC products.

The Nebraska campaign behind medical cannabis ballot initiatives approved by voters last year is asking the state Supreme Court not to revive a lawsuit seeking to overturn the measures.

Virginia regulators published the results of a medical cannabis practitioner survey.

The California Legislative Analyst’s Office published a report on tax exemptions for donations of medical cannabis.

Massachusetts’s acting top marijuana regulator toured a dispensary.

Rhode Island regulators are proceeding with the application process for a medical cannabis dispensary license with previously qualified applicants from an earlier selection round.

The California Cannabis Authority Board of Directors will meet on Friday.

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Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
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/ INTERNATIONAL

Thailand’s public health minister signed an order requiring people to have doctors’ prescriptions and medical certificates mandatory in order to buy cannabis.

/ SCIENCE & HEALTH

A study found that “since 2012, there has been considerable growth in patents and publications related to cannabis drug delivery systems, driven by the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids.”

A review concluded that psilocybin “may have therapeutic properties in depression and alcohol-use disorder.”

/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS

A poll found that Australians support legalizing marijuana, 48 percent to 41 percent.

/ BUSINESS

Verano Holdings Corp. is opening a bodega-style dispensary in Phoenix, Arizona.

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FL Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tilray Brands Inc., has become the first company in Italy to receive government approval to distribute medical cannabis flower. The products are set to be available this month in pharmacies throughout the country.  

In a statement, Denise Faltischek, chief strategy officer and head of International at Tilray Brands, said the “milestone underscores the vital role of medical cannabis as a therapeutic medicine for patients in need, supporting their health and well-being.” 

“We are proud to expand our medical cannabis portfolio in Italy with the introduction of our Tilray Medical high-quality, EU-GMP certified medical cannabis products that uphold the highest standards in patient care,” Faltischek said. “We extend our gratitude to the Ministero della Salute (Italian Ministry of Health) for their trust in Tilray Medical and for providing the necessary regulatory framework to ensure access to safe, consistent and reliable cannabinoid-based therapies. Together, we are advancing health care and patient wellness through innovation and collaboration.” — Faltischek in a press release 

The three approved products include Tilray Medical’s Tilray THC 25%, Tilray THC 18%, and Tilray THC 9%/CBD 9%. 

Italy legalized medical cannabis in 2013 and initially relied on imported medical cannabis products; however, the Italian Army was later tasked with local cultivation at the Military Pharmaceutical Plant in Florence, which was criticized for producing low quality flower.  

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