Currently, 32 US states have legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes, while 10 states have taken legislation a step further and permitted adults to partake in marijuana for recreational enjoyment. However, Wisconsin is one of the states that’s struggling to avoid the issue, despite increasing public support of legalization measures in various recent polls across the United States.
Among those hesitant to move on marijuana legalization measures is Wisconsin Senate President Roger Roth, who wants to see more evidence before considering such a big move. His hope is to see as much as a decade of data on the health effects when an individual uses marijuana for long periods of their life.
Despite the fact that state legislators are not ready to draft a proposal, 16 counties that opted to utilize advisory questions to gauge resident support of marijuana legislation reform found that overwhelmingly, Wisconsin’s residents are ready to see change regarding marijuana as other state residents have enjoyed in the last two decades or more.
Of the 16, all but four mentioned legalizing marijuana for medical use. Those four counties focused advisory questions on the manner in which marijuana would be regulated, personal use by adults over the age of 21 and taxation of marijuana sales and the potential use of the funds accumulated. Despite the wording and focus of the 16 advisory questions, each one passed in its respective county.
In Dane County, voters passed a question that suggested marijuana be legalized for adults over the age of 21 and regulated much like alcohol is, while in Brown and Clark Counties, the suggested regulation would follow that used for prescription drugs – those questions also passed.
In Forest, Kenosha, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, and Sauk counties, the wording of the advisory question focused on marijuana use for medical purposes and specified that the individual would require written recommendation from a licensed state medical professional to obtain and be permitted to use marijuana. These measures all passed as well.
For the voters, the results are clear. The desire to at least legalize medicinal use of marijuana is clear. However, the time frame for such a move is uncertain, as the politicians remain unconvinced of the benefits of the move.
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