Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) on Sunday unveiled a plan to legalize marijuana as part of his forthcoming budget proposal, a policy change he said reflects the will of voters and would bring the state hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue that could be used to fund schools and equity initiatives. “Legalizing and taxing marijuana in Wisconsin—just like we do already with alcohol—ensures a controlled market and safe product are available for both recreational and medicinal users,” the governor said in a statement, “and can open the door for countless opportunities for us to reinvest in our communities and create a more equitable state.” Evers first signaled in December that he was considering adding legalization to his 2021–2023 budget proposal despite Republican lawmakers’ steady rejections in recent years of more modest marijuana reforms. Evers in 2019 tried to legalize medical marijuana and decriminalize small-scale cannabis possession in his first budget proposal as governor, but Republicans in the legislature stripped those provisions from the bill. The latest proposal sets up yet another partisan fight.
Ben Adlin, Marijuana Moment, 02/07/2021 15:35:00