Can Wisconsin lawmakers meet in the middle on marijuana?

As lawmakers get ready to return to the floor in January, marijuana, especially medicinal use, could be one of areas where Democrats and Republicans find compromise.

Spectrum News 1 Political Reporter Anthony DaBruzzi discussed the issue with Democratic Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard as Gov. Evers plans to make cannabis a part of his budget pitch early next year.

Finding a compromise on cannabis

State Sen. Agard, who has been a longtime champion of cannabis legalization, said she will continue her push in the upcoming biennium. Though some Republican lawmakers have expressed an openness to medicinal use, and even previously authored legislation, Agard doesn’t believe it reflects what Wisconsinites want.

“The devil is in the details and at this point. The bills that have been brought forward by my Republican colleagues are not ones that the appetite of the people of Wisconsin would really support if they drill down into what it is that those policies are saying,” Agard explained. “It is clear that the governor agrees with me, that the most dangerous thing about cannabis in Wisconsin is that it remains illegal. And we are going to roll up our sleeves and do everything that we can to move this bill across the finish line.”

Priorities after putting money aside

While Gov. Evers has tried to make cannabis a fiscal issue by including marijuana legalization for tax revenue purposes in his budget proposals, there are a lot of issues Democrats hope to focus on that are not tied to money.

[Read more at Spectrum News 1]