State balks at legalizing marijuana and Rep. McGuire could tip the committee
Newly elected Assembly District 64 Rep Tip McGuire (D-Kenosha) is making marijuana news again. In his primary candidate statements, McGuire seemed like he was a medical marijuana supporter stating:
“I think marijuana has substantially less risk than some of those other drugs,” McGuire said. “I believe that any loosening of marijuana laws, however, has to be accompanied by an increase in drug recognition expert training in law enforcement.”
This is where it gets interesting. Rep. McGuire did not co-sponsor the “Erpenbach/Testin/Taylor Medical Marijuana Bill AB570. Rep. McGuire does hold a seat on the Assembly Committee of State Affairs which will be the committee to handle medical marijuana for 2019-2020 legislative session. The article goes on to mention the Republican legislative attempt to create a medical marijuana program (AB750). We found that Rep. Tip McGuire did not join his Senator Bob Wirch (D-Somers) in co-sponsoring AB750. If Rep. McGuire sponsored either of these pieces of legislation the committee would tip from opposed to supportive, in theory.
Here is the rest of the article from Dec 2019 with Rep. McGuire statements highlighted in red. We highly doubt his office did the math in committee, or maybe they did?!?!?!
Though recreational marijuana becomes legal in Illinois starting Jan. 1, Wisconsin isn’t going to follow suit.
At least not right now.
Wisconsin Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald is strongly opposed to legalization, but things may be changing in Madison.
Last week, two female Republican state lawmakers introduced a bill that would legalize medical marijuana in a limited way, the first time any Republicans have taken the lead on such a measure.
One of the lawmakers said she wished she could have used marijuana for pain relief during cancer treatments instead of opioids.
The Republican bill is one of many supporting legalization of marijuana in Wisconsin that have been introduced over the years.
Polls show that a majority of Wisconsin voters support both medical and recreational use.
An April 2019 Marquette Law School poll found that 59% of voters say recreational marijuana use should be legal and 83% approve of medical marijuana with a doctor’s prescription.
Gov. Tony Evers put legalization of medical marijuana and decriminalization of small amounts in this year’s budget, but those proposals were also deep-sixed by Republicans.
State Rep. Tod Ohnstad, D-Kenosha, a longtime supporter of legalization of medical and recreational cannabis, said that it’s time law enforcement stopped arresting people for pot.
“We’re going to be an island,” he said.
Recreational marijuana is legal in Michigan and Illinois and medical marijuana is legal in Minnesota.
“I hope there will be at least a conversation on medical marijuana this session. I certainly wish there would be a vote,” Ohnstad said.
Ohnstad said lawmakers across the country have generally chosen the path of legalizing medical marijuana first, then moved to legalize recreational use.
“There are a lot of conditions that have been shown to be positively impacted by medical marijuana (such as) chronic pain with cancer (and) PTSD. There are a lot of people who would benefit from marijuana,” Ohnstad said.
“The Republican caucus remains in the majority in the Assembly and Senate, and it is unclear whether there is enough political will within their caucus to take action and help Wisconsin patients,” said state Rep. Tip McGuire, D-Kenosha. “Government should not get in the way of a doctor prescribing what is best for their patient.”
Medical use is legal in 33 states, and in November 2018, 88% of Kenosha County voters supported an advisory referendum to legalize medical marijuana.
hough recreational marijuana becomes legal in Illinois starting Jan. 1, Wisconsin isn’t going to follow suit.
At least not right now.
Wisconsin Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald is strongly opposed to legalization, but things may be changing in Madison.
Last week, two female Republican state lawmakers introduced a bill that would legalize medical marijuana in a limited way, the first time any Republicans have taken the lead on such a measure.
One of the lawmakers said she wished she could have used marijuana for pain relief during cancer treatments instead of opioids.
The Republican bill is one of many supporting legalization of marijuana in Wisconsin that have been introduced over the years.
Polls show that a majority of Wisconsin voters support both medical and recreational use.
An April 2019 Marquette Law School poll found that 59% of voters say recreational marijuana use should be legal and 83% approve of medical marijuana with a doctor’s prescription.
Gov. Tony Evers put legalization of medical marijuana and decriminalization of small amounts in this year’s budget, but those proposals were also deep-sixed by Republicans.
“I am against voting on medicine,” Sabet said. “Why do we need separate dispensary? We don’t have an Advil pharmacy. We don’t vote on strength of aspirin as a medicine.”
