Adult-Use Cannabis Bill Introduced in Wisconsin

An adult-use cannabis bill has been introduced in Wisconsin, but the
reforms are likely to be, again, blocked by Republican lawmakers in the
state, Wisconsin Public Radio reports. It’s at least the third time a
legalization bill has been proposed in the state – similar bills failed in
2013, 2015, and 2017 – and for from 2023 to 2025 Democratic Gov. Tony Evers included
the reforms in his executive budget but they were rejected by GOP
lawmakers.

The bill would also legalize medical cannabis in the state.

In a statement, state Rep. Darrin Madison (D), said the bill would prevent
the collapse of the state’s hemp-derived THC industry as a federal ban
looms.

“We already have an important, thriving cannabis industry in Wisconsin, one
worth $700 million by some estimates. That’s because when Congress
legalized some hemp-derived products in 2018, Wisconsin
entrepreneurs didn’t wait around. They built an entire cannabis supply
chain – from farmers growing hemp, to processors extracting cannabinoids,
to manufacturers producing edibles and beverages, to retailers selling
those products across the state. We need to safely regulate this industry,
not destroy it. This legislation also helps right a generational wrong in
Wisconsin’s criminal legal system. Black and white Americans use cannabis
at roughly the same rates – yet in 2022 in Wisconsin, Black people were
more than five times as likely to be arrested for possession.” — Madison in
a press release

A June 2025 poll from Marquette Law School found 67% of Wisconsin voters
support cannabis legalization in the state with 33% opposed. A majority
of Republicans polled, 56%, opposed the reforms, while majorities of
independents, 79%, and Democrats, 88%, were in favor.