Marijuana use, both medical and recreational, is becoming more acceptable in many places around the country. Colorado and Washington have legalized use of the drug and many municipalities have decriminalized it.
In Wisconsin, legislation was introduced to legalize recreational and medical marijuana use and other proposals have sought to reduce the penalties for marijuana possession. In April, Gov. Walker signed a bill legalizing cannibidiol, a marijuana extract, for use in treating children with some seizure syndromes. No other legislation related to marijuana has passed.
The penalty for marijuana possession in Wisconsin is harsh. After one conviction, a subsequent arrest is charged as a felony.
We asked state legislators two questions:
- Do you think marijuana should be legalized?
- Do you think the criminal penalties for marijuana possession should be changed? Why or why not?
Sen. Nikiya Harris-Dodd (6th District)
1. This past session, I supported Rep. Melissa Sargent’s bill to legalize marijuana because I believe that our state needs to begin focusing its resources on reducing mass incarceration and prioritizing public safety.
2. Sadly, our state is a glaring example of racial disparity in criminal justice. According to a 2013 study by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Wisconsin leads the nation in racial disparity in incarceration. In addition, over the past several decades, police enforcement of marijuana laws has disproportionately affected persons of color.
Instead of focusing our state resources on preventing violent crimes and stopping the prevalence of dangerous drugs such as heroin, Wisconsin has spent over $100 million in the last 10 years on marijuana arrests alone. This money is better spent allocating police resources to stop dangerous criminals who threaten the safety of our streets and neighborhoods.”
State Rep. Mandela Barnes (11th District)
1. With full legalization in the states of Colorado and Washington, every state has a huge opportunity to watch how the new laws impact these states’ communities and economies. So far, neither state has seen any kind of increase in crime or violence because of the legalization, and in fact, have seen spikes in revenue growth that can be used for a huge variety of the state’s needs. As far as Wisconsin, I think the best plan for our state is to begin with the decriminalization of marijuana possession.
2. Criminal penalties surrounding marijuana possession absolutely need to be addressed. Currently, there are thousands of arrests in the City of Milwaukee for marijuana possession. On top of the enormous cost savings that would result from decriminalization, both on the city and state levels, countless young African American men would no longer feel the disproportionate impacts of incarceration and felony records due to something as relatively harmless as marijuana possession.
Labeling somebody as a felon for possession has far-reaching implications that not only rob our community of somebody who might grow to be an entrepreneur, philanthropic pioneer, professional athlete or political leader, but it also robs these individuals and their families of a proud future. I plan to advocate heavily in the coming legislative session for the decriminalization of marijuana possession.
Also, earlier this summer, I was appointed to the special Legislative Council Joint Committee on the Review of Criminal Penalties. In short, the scope of this committee is to identify current felonies that should be abolished or reduced to misdemeanors, among other things. I am confident that this topic will be explored in the coming months, as the committee considers various outmoded policies that are currently on the books in Wisconsin.
State Rep. Sandy Pasch (10th District-Shorewood)
1. As a first step, I believe legalizing medical marijuana is the right and compassionate thing to do for those dealing with chronic conditions. The past three sessions, I co-sponsored bills which would legalize medical marijuana.This legislation would have allowed access to medical marijuana for patients with a number of debilitating diseases and conditions to receive a prescription for marijuana from their doctors without fear of prosecution. Unfortunately, there was not enough support to pass these pieces of legislation into law.
In other states, such as Washington and Colorado, there have been debates and successful legislation passed which legalized the use of marijuana. Legalizing marijuana is anticipated to help mend the budget of these states. There has been talk about discussing the legalization of marijuana in Wisconsin; however, nothing has come up definitively. We have a unique opportunity to see what happens in Washington and Colorado first before jumping on the bandwagon.
2. I do not support any legislation that creates additional criminal penalties for possession of marijuana in the State of Wisconsin; we have more important issues to focus on in our society than incarcerating non-violent offenders. This is especially true as seen in your last special report: “Black men bear the brunt of unequal enforcement of marijuana laws.” I believe we need to examine current state laws related to alcohol and drug use. It is not uncommon for decisions on criminality to be based on media and public outrage, rather than scientific facts and thoughtful analysis. Therefore I do support medical marijuana and decriminalizing marijuana usage as initial steps.
State Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa (8th District)
1. I think Wisconsin needs to begin moving in that direction through incremental steps beginning with the legalization of medicinal marijuana use as well as reducing penalties and decriminalizing marijuana possession and recreational use in our state. If we move in the direction of decriminalization with state oversight and regulation, Wisconsin would be able to find a better balance that would still penalize the trafficking of the drug on the black market while relieving our courts and correctional facilities of low level, often first-time offenders.
2. Again, I support the movement towards eventual legalization with the first step being decriminalization of marijuana possession. You have a plant that many people in this state smoke recreationally and the subsequent penalties for possession can ruin lives, cripple careers and separate families…not to mention overly strain our state’s prisons and correctional facilities.
State Rep. Evan Goyke (18th District)
1. “I don’t yet know if I support the legalization of marijuana. I am watching Washington and Colorado closely and am listening to both proponents and opponents here in Wisconsin. I do believe there needs to be immediate changes to our enforcement and criminal justice responses to marijuana possession, which can be done without delay.”
2. I strongly support and have tried to champion changing how the criminal justice system treats marijuana possession. Far too many young people are forever branded with the scarlet “felon” label due to a marijuana possession conviction. If marijuana possession was treated the same as drunk driving, I believe many of the negative outcomes within the justice system would be reduced.”
What do you think? Share your comments below.
Edgar is a senior staff reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. Mendez is a proud graduate of UW-Milwaukee, where he double majored in Journalism and Sociology, and of Marquette University, where he earned a master’s degree in Communication. As an accomplished journalist, Edgar’s awards include a 2018 Regional Edward R. Murrow award, several press club awards and a Society of Professional Journalists’ regional award for columns dealing with issues such as poverty, homelessness and racism.
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the greatest plant in the universe is almost free, LET FREEDOM RING! 13
1000s of my friends and family have grown 30-99 plants for 20 years, thanks for keeping prices high and NORCAL wealthy…#1 crop in cali = $15 Billion Untaxed…
“any doctor against marijuana is a doctor of death” – cali secret 420
from 0 states to half the country, from low 20% approval to almost 70%, cali runs this planet by 2 decades, time to tie marijuana to the 2014, 2016 elections, out with the old, in with the new
20 years behind us southern states and NEW YORK (CBD = Can’t Be Done), sad and scary….nobody denies freedoms like the south, nobody…the top ten incarcerators on the planet are southern states and more blacks are in prison then were slaves before the civil war…even if marijuana reforms did pass the republiCANTS in charge would deny you all your freedoms, centuries of practice…no matter though, we never planned on getting your backwards brethren from day one, half the country already but not one southern state, lol…not 1….the new generations are taking over in the south and they are nothing like their freedom denying parents, let’s ride…
Deaths by Alcohol: Millions
Deaths by Tobacco: Millions
Deaths by Prescription Drugs: Quadrupled in last decade
Deaths by Guns: Millions
Deaths by the food we are fed: Millions
Deaths by Marijuana: 0, ever…they are killing my American family while denying freedom
love and freedom forever
AMERICA’S WAR ON DRUGS IS A WAR ON AMERICANS! 33
I support the legalization of cannibis and medical cannibis! This plant can help people on all different levels! It does even help with als cancer deppression anxiety bi polar epilepse there are many more things it can do! I just wish u guys would see all the good it can do and stop thinking bout how it supposidly leads to use of other drugs or what ever! If u guys truely were for all of this at least the medical cannibis would have been passed! Time to stop saying ur for it and get it done! !!!!!
There’s no question that criminalizing marijuana is an injustice of giant proportions. Few seem to realize that commercial hemp with its extremely low THC levels is more restricted in legalized marijuana states than recreational and medical marijuana is. Why?
Because hemp fibers are a commercially viable substitute for both cotton fibers and ethanol from corn , it also has a 200 percent higher yield than cotton and corn. Hemp grows without the tons upon tons of herbicides, pesticides, fungicides and chemical fertilizer that poison our farmlands, our rivers and aquifers and other fresh water supplies just to keep the stockholders happy and profits as high as our nation’s cancer rates.
So corporate America’s proxy lawmakers both Democrats and Republican serve to protect the profits of wealthy cotton and corn growers and protect the profits of chemical producers like Monsanto, Dow Chemical and DuPont by restricting the general cultivation of hemp. So not only does the criminalization of hemp/marijuana criminalize and incarcerate for no good cause, it also deprives Wisconsin farmers from entering three new markets: textiles, ethanol, and hemp pulp as a commercially viable alternative for timber pulp.
The best way to fight cancer and reduce the incidence of this dreaded disease and dampen the increasing costs of health care is to legalize the general cultivation of hemp and substitute it for the cultivation chemical dependent corn and cotton.
The best way to lower our public expenditures on prisons, courts, law enforcement, and expenditures for public assistance to families victimized by marijuana criminalization is to legalize all marijuana;
The best way to democratize the farm sector and increase markets and incomes for Wisconsin farmers and farmers everywhere is to legalize the general cultivation of hemp.
The best way to help treat our returned veterans suffering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, people suffering from cancer treatments and others suffering from alcoholism and many other diseases is to legalize medical marijuana. (See Hemp Revolution, a 1996 documentary, order from Netflix.com)
As someone who uses & needs marijuana, I think that Marijuana should be legal in Wisconsin. Marijuana has replaced so many prescription drugs I take that were “supposed to” stop & help me with my anxiety, depression, back pain, etc. The only thing that makes me sad is that, I unfortunately can’t afford marijuana & I’m sad almost everyday thinking; if this harmless plant were legal in all the states & cities of WI, I’d be a much happeieer person, not only because I’d save tons of money, but the plant “medicine” I use would be legal! Please WI & to every state in the USA legalize marijuana. Restore some of the peace in the union with as little as legalizing pot.
The funniest things is that its so easy to get in every town in America and these ignorant politicians are missing out on so much tax revenue while crying poor.. What a joke of a government when
70 plus% approve of something but the government says NO ? What happened to we the people ? Who actually runs this country and the money they are missing out on while it still goes on mind you is absolutely moronic ! Waiting for you old POS politicians that have held office for literally decades to just die so we can give the people back their freedom to chose and start moving this country fwd again. What idiots we have and no choice but to vote in either a turd or a moron.. You get to chose between 2 dumb rich guys and they are both rarely good for anything. Try doing something rite for a change instead of filibustering and passing nothing useful to us ! The American people that gave you your kush job and high over paid salary.. I’m voting for whoever will legalize in one way or another. The parties mean nothing anymore. God pray they do the rite thing but eventually every state will be so bankrupt besides Colorado and Washington that they won’t have a choice or they will be dead. Looking fwd to both.