Lawmakers ponder pros, cons of Wisconsin weed legislation
On Feb. 2, 2026, a major push for marijuana legalization in Wisconsin sparked political debate as Democratic lawmakers introduced a new bill to legalize recreation and medical cannabis. With neighboring states like Minnesota, Michigan, and Illinois already having gone down this legislative road, some believe legalization could keep revenue in Wisconsin.
Along with the growing hemp industry, the cannabis supply train would provide smokable flowers, beverages, vapes and edibles. Democrat Andrew Hysell of the Wisconsin State Assembly believes that legalization would be beneficial towards the hemp industry and supporting certain jobs.
“Wisconsin farmers and businesses deserve to be supported under any new cannabis legalization legislation,” he said. “As important stakeholders, they have had a seat at the table as we formulate Democratic cannabis legalization legislation.”
Currently, the hemp industry provides around 3,500 jobs, contributing around $700 million to the Wisconsin economy; however, with multiple bills and versions of regulations that Wisconsin lawmakers are dealing with, the industry is at risk of debacle. Through legalization and regulation efforts, Democrats believe that Wisconsin would save and earn more money.
“In Michigan, revenue from cannabis sales go to schools and localities, which helps those entities greatly,” he said. “However, we should not treat Wisconsinites as ATMs and over-tax cannabis. We need to strike a balance.”
According to State Representative Lori Palmeri the AB 606 regulation would apply stricter regulations but also give power to people who sell alcohol in local hemp shops in the state. However, smaller venues that have not obtained liquor licenses would be in jeopardy.
“For smaller hemp shops, if AB 606 were implemented, any retailer who currently holds an alcohol license would be grandfathered into the new product category,” she said. “Because these smaller shops haven’t wanted to pursue liquor licenses, this could leave shop owners with no available license to apply for.”
West Social Studies Department Chair Patrick Bertram believes that, under the current law, legalization of marijuana would not be a huge problem for younger generations
“I'm assuming they would make it like age 21 and like use it like alcohol, but it'd still be against school rules,” he said. “I mean, either way, even if they do legalize it for adults, it still would be illegal for students.”
However, Bertram does raise a concern about the misuse of the drug by the students due to increased availability.
“I guess it could be it could be more problems in the schools,” he said. “There is the issues of would students, you know, be coming to school under the influence?”
With the possible income that the state could earn from marijuana, Bertram hopes that money could support education in the city.
“If they, you know, they're putting this high tax or if they put an excise tax on marijuana, it could go into the general fund,” he said. “It could be used to keep college price of education for college students down.”
According to Palmeri, the push for legalization could prevent paying a large amount of tax to other states.
“Our Legislative Fiscal Bureau estimates that Wisconsin buyers contribute $36 million in revenues to Illinois alone, and that full legalization here could generate up to $170 million for Wisconsin,” she said. “We can and should use any tax revenue generated to firstly, educate the public on some real harms that marijuana use can cause, but also to support schools, environmental protection projects, state parks and more.”
With other regulations that are in consideration, Palmeri believes that the future laws can ensure safety for people.
“So the outcome here runs the gamut from basic ID checks to store closures due to illegality of the product,” she said. ”With clear regulation and education on the use of this product, how much we should be spending on marijuana is a question for the market to decide.”
Sophomore Sophie Fletcher thinks that the situation is complex, creating a scene where Wisconsin is one of the minority states out of step with the legalization efforts of neighbors.
“It’s kind of complicated ‘cause I feel like it kind of causes a strange sort of flux if you have legalization in one area but then not in other areas and I know that the states surrounding Wisconsin most of them it is legal,” she said.
But overall, Fletcher believes that like alcohol, marijuana could be left to personal choice.
“I approve of the legalization of it in general, but it’s kind of like with alcohol. I also think alcohol should be legal, but I don't approve of encouraging people to use it,” she said. “My personal take on it is, I definitely don't think marijuana is as harmful as other drugs and for medical purposes like it can be beneficial to a lot of people for medical reasons.”
However, with increased availability, Bertram worries about accessibility for high school students, not unlike alcohol in the home.
“I think it would become easier for students to find marijuana if it was legalized,” he said. “Somebody will know somebody who buys it and possibly sell it to them second-hand or they could get it to from somebody.”
In terms of the next step for the Democrats who want to push for legalization, Palmeri describes her next steps and what she has done in order to put forth their plans.
“I have signed onto AB 680/SB 644, which requires sales be for 21-year-old or older purchasers only. I have also co-signed onto Sen. Johnson’s and Rep. Madison’s proposal,” she said. “As the majority party and its committee chairs decide a path forward, my staff and I will be seeking more input from the people of the 54th District and industry groups and other stakeholders on which proposal is the most fair and workable version.”
Hysell concludes that it all boils down to what the people of Wisconsin call for.
“As a unified Democratic caucus, we’ll continue to advocate for legalization and decriminalization,” he said. “The people want legalization and we should give them what they want.”
by Yui Watanabe
Published March 2. 2026
Oshkosh West Index Volume 122 Issue V