Wisconsin might quickly develop into the most recent U.S. state to legalize adult-use hashish. On September 22 of this yr, a invoice drafted by Sen. Melissa Agard (D-Madison) and Rep. Darin Madison (D-Milwaukee) was launched within the state legislature. That is the most recent in a collection of legalization initiatives within the Badger State.
The invoice would make it authorized for adults in Wisconsin to legally possess as much as 5 ounces of hashish. Underneath the brand new legislation, possession over the 5-ounce restrict could be thought of a misdemeanor.
At current, possession of any quantity of hashish is taken into account a misdemeanor beneath state legislation, with subsequent possession offenses being thought of felonies. It’s price mentioning that some Wisconsin localities have established extra permissive norms. For instance, Dane County (the place the state capital Madison is situated) will typically not prosecute adults for hashish possession, the place the quantity doesn’t exceed 28 grams.
Sen. Agard and Rep. Madison’s proposal would additionally make it authorized for localities to allow the institution of consumption lounges. It additionally requires the automated expungement of non-violent hashish offenses from prison data.
Sen. Agard has referred to Wisconsin as an “island of prohibition,” noting that “proper now, we’re seeing our hard-earned cash go throughout the border to Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota to the tune of tens of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} annually” (readers unfamiliar with Wisconsin’s geography can try the state freeway map; the state’s two largest cities are each about an hour away from the Illinois border). This highlights an uncomfortable actuality for these states that buck the legalization pattern of their neighbors: Their residents will nonetheless be capable to get hashish legally, but the financial windfall will keep on the opposite aspect of the state line. Geography is future, as the implications of legalization subsequent door reveal.