The Jackson County Wisconsin Sheriff's Office issued a news release May 8 which was posted on their Facebook page. According to the release, Jackson County Sheriff Duane Waldera provided an "informational section on marijuana, hemp and CBD oils" at "Coffee with a Cop" at the Lunda Center Hub in Black River Falls May 3 in response to "questions and concerns brought up by attendees". County Wisconsin Sheriff's Office
The final paragraph of the one page release spells out the department's offer to accept "illegal CBD products" dropped off by those possessing them "without a doctor's certification:"
"If a person has purchased or is in possession of CBD oils, it is important to know at this time it is illegal to possess them. My guidance to people currently in possession of CBD oils without a doctor's certification is to please contact Captain Adam Olson at the Jackson County Sheriff's Office to make arrangements drop of [sic] the CBD product that you no longer should possess without any consequence. If you wish, you may also contact the vendor that sold you the CBD for recommendations." - Jackson County Wisconsin Sheriff's Office
Not coincidentally, Black River Falls is also the home of Wisconsin's first hemp store, PriceLand Hemp Growers, which opened April 20.
PriceLand Hemp Growers' situation was discussed in the previous Cannabadger post, "Farm Bureau and hemp businesses push back after DOJ position paper says CBD illegal in Wisconsin." PriceLand's owner, Joel Peterson, said he had been in touch with the Wisconsin DOJ who were very unhappy with the store's plans and Asst. Wisconsin Attorney General Amber Hahn visited two days before they opened.. (Source: PriceLand Hemp Growers
On the other hand, the store also has received a lot of support from customers along with state and federal elected officials; Democratic U.S. Congressman Ron Kind stopped by on opening day, and State Rep. Treig Pronschinske (R-Mondovi) visited on May 3.
On May 7, WTMJ-TV Milwaukee aired a report by Ben Jordan about PriceLand's fight to stay open, "Wisconsin's first hemp store battles Attorney General to keep doors open."
We talked to Joel Peterson earlier today who advised us that in the wake of the Sheriff's Office's statement, he was hearing from some panicked customers asking for refunds.
On Friday May 4, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who signed 2017 Wisconsin Act 100, creating the Wisconsin hemp pilot program Nov. 30, 2017, was asked about the controversy ignited by the DOJ CBD guidance at an appearance in Wausau. According to a report filed by WAOW, Walker's response was, "We're going to have to figure it out to address that concern because our bottom line is help families, very limited circumstances, where kids have seizures and in particular this is a way to help them with those seizures - it's proven."
The article went on to note, " Republican and Democratic lawmakers, along with the Farm Bureau, thought the hemp bill intended to allow farmers the ability to produce hemp-based CBD oil."