Bill creates evidence-driven cannabis regulations, accessible markets for growers and sellers, and justice for victims of Wisconsin’s racist cannabis laws
MADISON, Wis. – This morning in the Wisconsin Assembly’s parlor, Rep. Darrin Madison (D-10) joined Sen. LaTonya Johnson (D-6) and Rep. Andrew Hysell (D-48) to propose legalization of recreational and medical cannabis, along with evidence-based, stakeholder-driven regulations and a path to justice for people convicted of cannabis-related crimes.
This legislation is partly a response to Congress’ approval of a Trump Administration ban on most hemp-derived products in the most recent Farm Bill. The state must act before November 12, 2026 to prevent the collapse of a $700 million industry that creates 3,200 jobs in Wisconsin.
Rep. Madison (D-10) released the following statement:
“Today, we are introducing legislation to fully legalize cannabis for responsible adult use in Wisconsin, including a medical cannabis program to ensure people have access to the medicine they need and use.
Across this country, the cannabis debate is over. Forty states and Washington D.C. have already legalized cannabis in some form. Here in the Midwest, Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, and others have all legalized cannabis for adult use. But Wisconsin hasn’t. That leaves us behind the curve of our neighboring states.
We already have an important, thriving cannabis industry in Wisconsin, one worth $700 million by some estimates. That’s because when Congress legalized some hemp-derived products in 2018, Wisconsin entrepreneurs didn’t wait around. They built an entire cannabis supply chain – from farmers growing hemp, to processors extracting cannabinoids, to manufacturers producing edibles and beverages, to retailers selling those products across the state. We need to safely regulate this industry, not destroy it.
This legislation also helps right a generational wrong in Wisconsin’s criminal legal system. Black and white Americans use cannabis at roughly the same rates—yet in 2022 in Wisconsin, Black people were more than five times as likely to be arrested for possession.
This bill takes meaningful steps toward repair, allowing for the re-evaluation of sentences for people convicted on cannabis charges. Alongside decriminalization of cannabis, this provides a much needed path towards justice.”
