UPDATED: 2018-08-29 2:30:52 PM BREAKING: Make that 16 counties. Cannabadger has just learned Lincoln County passed a medical cannabis advisory referendum Aug. 21 as well as Racine County passing one Aug. 28. Here are the minutes from the Lincoln County 8/21 board meeting at which it was approved by a voice vote with 22 members present. (Map below updated)
Just hours before the deadline to get on the Nov. 6 ballot, Racine county supervisors passed a cannabis advisory referendum at their meeting in Sturtevant Tuesday night. The vote was 11-10. The vote came after numerous community members and supporters spoke in favor, some giving emotional testimony about medical use. Some supporters held signs up at times, and only a few people spoke against. The resolution was co-authored by Sups. Fabi Maldonado and Nick Demske.
Map updated on Aug. 29, 2018 showing the final status of the 21 Wisconsin in which cannabis advisory referendums were introduced in 2018.
The vote means that on Nov. 6, sixteen Wisconsin counties from the Michigan border to the Illinois border, from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River, half red and half blue, will have the opportunity to weigh in on Wisconsin’s archaic and punitive cannabis laws when they go to the polls to vote. The 16 counties voting on Nov. 6 comprise nearly half the state’s population. In addition, the cities of Waukesha and Racine will find city cannabis advisory referendums on their ballots.
The 16 counties include 9 counties that voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 general elections and 7 that voted for Hillary Clinton. The election is historic in that Dane County was previously the only county to hold cannabis advisory referendums before, on medical in 2010 and adult use in 2014, with both passing overwhelmingly.
While sixteen counties approved referendums, five others did not. But it is significant that the mere existence these proposals made it okay for people to discuss their feelings on the issues. Likeminded people connected and discovered they were in agreement that the public deserved a voice. Once again, the public was ahead of the people they elect to govern and I’m guessing voters will not forget these votes when the opponents are next up for election.
Election night should be interesting. My guess is they will go 15-0 in favor.
Previous Cannabadger coverage of Wisconsin county advisory referendums:
Racine County Board to vote August 28 on Cannabis Advisory Referendum
Five of six Wisconsin county boards approve cannabis advisory referendums for Nov. 6 ballot
Six more Wisconsin counties to vote on cannabis advisory referendums August 21
Portage County approves cannabis advisory referendum on 22-1 vote
Racine County Board moves cannabis advisory referendum one step closer plus other updates
St. Croix board rejects referendum 9-8, Racine county committee okays board vote
Portage and Forest County Committees Advance Referendums To Full Board
County Advisory Referendum Updates: Langlade, Eau Claire, Racine, Portage and more
Marathon County Board approves medical cannabis referendum 19-15
Marathon County Board to vote July 24 on medical cannabis advisory referendum
La Crosse sixth Wisconsin county to ok November cannabis advisory referendum
Brown County board approves medical cannabis advisory referendum
Sauk is 4th Wisconsin county to approve Nov. 6 cannabis advisory referendum
Dane County is third county to approve November cannabis advisory vote
Brown, St. Croix, Langlade and Sauk county cannabis advisory referendums head to full board votes
Langlade and Walworth join 8 other counties looking at cannabis advisory referendums
Cannabis legalization advisory referendum update: Rock County approves, other counties moving forward
Wisconsin County Cannabis Legalization Advisory Referendums moving forward across state
More Wisconsin counties looking at advisory referendums on pot legalization
Dane County Board to consider cannabis legalization advisory referendum for November ballot
Full Milwaukee County Board OKs cannabis legalization advisory referendum for November ballot
Milwaukee County Board committee OKs pot legalization referendum proposal; sends to full board for vote
