Politics

NORML rates all U.S. governors on pot and Scott Walker gets a ‘D’

October 28, 2016 - With elections just a little over a week away, the good folks at the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) just released their first-ever “US Governors Scorecard.” NORML has assigned a letter grade ‘A’ through ‘F’ to every state governor based upon his or her comments and voting records specific to matters of marijuana policy. Wisconsin’s Gov. Scott Walker, who is not up...

Legalization

Wisconsin PAC supports cannabis-friendly candidates

October 22, 2016 - As noted in my last post, “Why Wisconsin can’t vote to legalize cannabis,” passing cannabis law reform legislation has been extremely difficult with little real progress over decades of legislating. The state constitution does not include the Initiative process, closing off the route numerous states have already taken and more are taking this November to pass medical and adult use initiatives. A...

Legalization

Why Wisconsin can’t vote to legalize cannabis

October 12, 2016 - This November citizens in nine states will be voting to legalize medical cannabis or adult use. Wisconsin will not be among them. As of June 2016, 25 states and Washington D.C. currently have some form of medical cannabis law and 4 plus Washington D.C. have legalized adult use. I recently read an article in Motley Fool that listed Wisconsin among 14 states that would likely be the last of the...

Politics

Racine Rep Cory Mason out of touch on cannabis

September 30, 2016 - In late May, I got in a discussion about cannabis legalization in Wisconsin with State Rep. Cory Mason (D-Racine) in a thread on his Facebook page. Despite not sponsoring any pot-related legislation during his ten years in office, it still seemed possible he might be more open to reform representing an urban district that includes the city of Racine. State crime stats show the numbers of arrests...

Legalization

New Marquette Poll finds 59% support legal pot

July 15, 2016 - On June 18, 2016, the Wisconsin State Journal published a letter I wrote, “Marquette poll should ask people about pot.” I tweeted the link to Prof. Charles Franklin, head of the Marquette Law School Poll. Whether it was coincidence or “Ask and you shall receive,” a new Marquette poll was released July 13 that for the first time in 22 months included questions about cannabis. The poll found that...

CBD

Fitzgerald uses procedural move to block last chance for CBD bill vote

March 16, 2016 - {Updated 2016-03-16 6:59:17 PM} WisPolitics.com, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Racine Journal Times and other sources are reporting more details along with reaction to last night’s actions by Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald to block a vote on the CBD bill during the final meeting of 2015-2016 legislative session. Senate Democrats had made a motion to pull the CBD bill, AB228/...

Medical

Wisconsin’s 1982 medical marijuana law – Therapeutic Cannabis Research Act

October 14, 2015 - Editor’s Note: Before I started Cannabadger, I published around 250 articles on Examiner.com, the Madison NORML Examiner starting in Nov. 2009. I stopped writing for Examiner in late 2014, and now it appears that many of the articles are no longer available. These articles contain useful historical info on Wisconsin cannabis bills that is relevant today. This was originally published April 8,...

Decriminalization

Wausau Herald supports statewide pot decrim, rejects medical use and legalization

September 14, 2015 - Kudos to the folks at Gannett Central Wisconsin Media for their expansive report in the Stevens Point Journal, “Marijuana decriminalization spreads across WI.” We have followed the series here on Cannabadger and it was the inspiration for a number of posts. The Gannett Central Wisconsin Media Editorial Board has followed up with an editorial in favor of statewide decriminalization in the Wausau...

Legalization

Legalizing marijuana could curb heroin use — Gary Storck

September 10, 2015 - Below is a letter to the editor I wrote that will be published in the Friday, Sept. 11, 2015 print edition of the Wisconsin State Journal: Legalizing marijuana could curb heroin use — Gary Storck Considering the article in Wednesday’s paper “State rep plans anti-heroin bills,” if Rep. John Nygren really wants to curtail opiate abuse in Wisconsin, he should consider sponsoring legislation...

Decriminalization

Decriminalization article exposes backward mindsets on Wisconsin pot law reforms

September 2, 2015 - The Stevens Point Journal published a nice look at local efforts to decriminalize cannabis possession after the city council recently reduced pot fines, “Marijuana decriminalization spreads across WI.” It was then picked up by the Associated Press (AP) and is now reappearing in abbreviated form in various media outlets including the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. The original version is a good...

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