By ETHAN COOPER

By this point, pleas for the legalization of marijuana have admittedly become a tired genre. From revealed histories of racialized policymaking, to the prospect of economic stimulation, marijuana has been a hot button topic for decades. Nonetheless, renewed efforts in the Wisconsin legislature have once more brought this debate to the fore.

With cannabis dispensaries dotting the state-line, millions of dollars of tax revenue materialized in Illinois through Wisconsin residents. In 2022, Illinois collected $36 million dollars in tax revenue from Wisconsinites alone. This is what Beloit representative Clinton D. Anderson had in mind when joining legislative Democrats to introduce a new set of regulations. The recently introduced bill (LRB-4219) would legalize the recreational use of marijuana for all persons over the age of 21, as well as qualifying medical cases for persons over 18 years old. 

“Nearly two-thirds of Wisconsinites support the full legalization of cannabis,” said Representative Anderson in a press release, “and it’s time Wisconsin joins the growing number of states that have chosen to legalize and regulate it. In my hometown of Beloit, I see this reality every day as residents cross the border into South Beloit, Illinois, to visit legal dispensaries.”  

The state of Wisconsin is in the midst of a legislative gridlock. Both the House and the Senate have a Republican majority. However, the gubernatorial seat currently belongs to Democrat Tony Evers, and the Republican majority in either house is too slim to override a veto. It is also notable that new congressional maps drawn in 2024 mitigated heavy gerrymandering, potentially shaking up the results of the 2026 state elections. 

While it is far too early to even begin speculating on electoral outcomes, Democratic candidates Mandela Barnes and Francesca Hong stand out as two promising possibilities for governor. 

A self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist, Hong is running on a progressive ethos. Her plans include instituting universal childcare, free school meals, fair wages, expanded abortion protections, and of course, the legalization of cannabis. 

Barnes has been in the game since 2012, proposing legislation to partially legalize marijuana a decade ago. He runs on a left-wing populist style similar to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, maintaining high electability in a purple state. 

Democratic Governor Tony Evers, choosing not to run again later this year, is also a vocal proponent for legalizing cannabis. Making good on campaign trail promises, Evers included the legalization of marijuana in his 2021-2022 budget, only to have it shot down by the Republican-controlled state legislature. In a response to a Tweet authored by Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz, Evers said “There’s no reason Wisconsin shouldn’t be next when we know Wisconsinites overwhelmingly support legalizing and taxing marijuana, much like we already do with alcohol.” 

Overwhelming support is right. A Marquette Law poll cites 67% approval rating for recreational use and a whopping 87% for medical purposes. In a political epoch characterized by intractable divisions, the cannabis question has never been more bipartisan. 

A report from the governor’s office estimates $165 million revenue, much of which can be reinvested in public infrastructure, just from legalizing marijuana. But beyond economic concerns lie serious moral questions. For example, research conducted by the ACLU in 2020 indicates that Black Wisconsinites are 4.2 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession, despite comparable usage rates. 

Representative Darrin Madison of Milwaukee says “Arresting someone for smoking weed does not make our neighborhoods safer, It limits access to jobs, housing, education and stability for life and … those arrests fall overwhelmingly on Black and brown communities.”

Racial justice is undoubtedly a major concern in this battle. Anderson’s bill contains a provision to create a system for reviewing the cases of people currently incarcerated on drug charges, potentially concluding time served or expunging criminal records. 

With elections on the horizon and the deregulation of hemp on a federal scale, the legalization of cannabis in Wisconsin is long overdue. Not only is it the will of the people who demand change, but it is also simply just good policy. An unknown quantity of taxpayer dollars each year are spent uselessly on illogical drug arrests while our communities experience great injustice. If we are to achieve a more fair society as well as a shot in the arm economically, the decriminalization of weed is a necessary step forward.