Wisconsin’s governor and Democratic legislators planned a Capitol news conference in February 2019 to discuss a budget proposal intended to reform the state’s marijuana laws.
What the proposal included
- A medical marijuana program regulated and administered through the departments responsible for health services and agriculture, trade and consumer protection.
- Decriminalization of possession, manufacture or distribution involving 25 grams or less.
- An expungement procedure for people convicted of possessing, manufacturing or distributing less than 25 grams who had completed their sentence or probation.
- Alignment of Wisconsin law governing cannabidiol, commonly called CBD oil, with federal standards.
Advisory votes provided context
The proposal followed local advisory referenda held during the 2018 midterm election. Wisconsin voters showed support for cannabis policy changes in the counties and cities where questions appeared on ballots.
Those measures were advisory rather than binding. They nevertheless gave legislators a record of local voter sentiment on medical access, decriminalization and broader legalization.
What the record does—and does not—show
The 2019 proposal was one stage in a legislative and budget process. A proposal, a referendum result and an enacted statute are not interchangeable. This archived report therefore describes what was proposed at that time rather than presenting the provisions as current law.
The surrounding policy landscape has continued to change since the original report. Current legal questions should be checked against Wisconsin statutes and official agency materials.
