Wisconsin Republicans plan to unveil a proposal soon to legalize medical marijuana in the state and could vote on it sometime in 2024, according to the Associated Press.
Republicans have been working behind closed doors for years on a medical marijuana bill. Along the way, they have rejected calls from Gov. Tony Evers and other Democrats to legalize all uses of marijuana, including medical and recreational.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos in an interview Wednesday said the proposal will be limited and modeled after the medical marijuana law that had been in place in neighboring Minnesota before it moved to full legalization.
He said Assembly Republicans are on board in concept, but no one has seen the actual proposal yet. He expected to unveil it in January. If passed by both the Senate and Assembly, it would have to be signed by Evers before taking effect.
Vos has long backed some form of medical marijuana program, but no bill has ever received a vote in either the GOP-controlled Assembly or Senate.
Wisconsin remains an outlier nationally, with 38 states legalizing medical marijuana and 24 legalizing recreational marijuana. The push for legalization in Wisconsin has gained momentum, as its neighbors have loosened laws. Marquette University Law School polls have shown large majority support among Wisconsin residents for legalizing marijuana use for years.
