Wisconsin Senate Minority Leader Plans to Introduce Medical Cannabis Legalization Bill

Wisconsin Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein (D) has indicated plans to introduce a medical cannabis legalization bill next session after her party picked up four seats in the chamber, ending a Republican supermajority, Wisconsin Public Radio reports. Hesselbein told WPR that she has already had conversations with the chamber’s Republican leadership about the reforms.  

Democrats in the chamber have proposed a bill to legalize both medical and adult-use cannabis in the state but it failed to get support from any Senate Republicans.

“But let’s get medicinal out there, because there are a lot of people that could benefit from that. I think we’ve got to get the conversation started once again.” — Hesselbein to WPR 

Hesselbein said she plans to reintroduce legislation from 2022 that would allow individuals to get approved for medical cannabis use through the state Department of Health Services. That bill received only one Democratic sponsor in 2022 and was rejected by a Senate committee, never making it to the floor for full consideration.  

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R) has said he would never support an adult-use legalization bill; however, some Republicans in the legislature, including Senate President Mary Felzkowski – who is a cancer survivor – have expressed support for medical cannabis legalization.   

Wisconsin is bordered by three states that have legalized cannabis for adult use – Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota – but remains a holdout, along with neighboring Idaho on enacting any cannabis reforms.