MADISON, WI – State Representative Christian Phelps (D–Eau Claire) co-authored legislation Monday with Rep. Madison (D–Milwaukee) and Sen. Johnson (D–Milwaukee) to legalize medical and recreational cannabis in Wisconsin, a long-overdue change that would catch Wisconsin up to the standards of our neighboring states.
Representative Phelps released the following statement:
“There are so many reasons to join our neighboring states in legalizing responsible cannabis use for Wisconsin adults – and it’s time to modernize our state’s laws to reflect popular opinion, stop losing revenue, increase safety through regulation, and save costs and lives by taking responsible use away from our criminal statutes.
“Legalization is popular. Recent Marquette polling suggests that two-thirds support legalization statewide. It’s time to respect democracy and respond to the will of the people.
“Legalization is economically responsible. Wisconsin is losing unfathomable sums of public funding to neighboring states like Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota as our neighbors regulate and tax these sales similarly to the sales of alcohol and tobacco, leaving Wisconsin without revenue that could be used to invest in public transportation, public health, and more.
“Legalization is safe. Wisconsin maintains a shamefully high rate of incarceration, wide racial disparities in criminal justice, and a chronic cruelty of slapping unnecessary criminal records on to young adults that can stay with them for the rest of their lives with respect to housing, employment, and more. By keeping cannabis use illegal, we have given up our opportunity to regulate its production and use and have invested resources that belong in our communities into incarceration instead. This is simply wrong.
“If you agree with me – and with an overwhelming majority of Wisconsinites – that it’s time to legalize, regulate, and modernize, speak up. Write to my office in support of this proposal, and make sure my colleagues on both sides of the aisle hear from you, too.”
