Wisconsin Officials Introduce Bill to Legalize Medical Cannabis

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]W[/dropcap]isconsin lawmakers announced in a statement on Sept. 20 that they are introducing legislation that could lead to access to medical cannabis in the state.

According toWKOW, Sen. Jon Erpenbach, Rep. Chris Taylor and Sen. Patrick Testin are standing together under a joint effort to legalize medical cannabis in their home state. This is one of the first bipartisan efforts to legalize medical cannabis in the state. “Growing up, my grandfather was one of my heroes. I watched as cancer robbed him of his strength and vitality,” said Sen. Testin. “I saw him make the decision to go outside the law to seek treatment with medical marijuana. It restored his appetite, and I believe it added months to his life. Doctors and patients, not government, should decide if cannabis is the right treatment.”

Last year, non-binding referendums in 16 counties and two cities received almost one million votes in support of legalizing medical or recreational cannabis. That means there is support behind making this change in the community. A statewide poll from April noted that 80.3 percent of Wisconsonites support medical cannabis.

The state lawmakers claim that this new, bipartisan bill “creates a tightly regulated process that requires a recommendation from a doctor with whom a patient has an established relationship.” The bill places responsibility on the state to create regulatory and licensing systems once legal, medical cannabis is in place. It will also attempt to ensure that patients can access cannabis whether or not they live near a dispensary, so there is a chance it will include delivery or home-growing options.

Hope was glimpsed for Wisconsin earlier this year, when it was revealed that the governor made room in the budget for legal cannabis. Wisconsin officials have also been making headway with their hemp and CBD program. Before long, they could have legal, medical cannabis as well.