Is Marijuana Headed for Legalization in Wisconsin?

 Posted on June 13, 2022 in Drug Charges

While more states, including neighboring Michigan and Illinois, have decriminalized and legalized marijuana use over the past few years, the substance remains illegal in Wisconsin. However, more momentum may be gathering in Madison for legalization, as bills to legalize medicinal and recreational marijuana use were both introduced this past year but did not advance. Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke said that legalization is likely to happen eventually in Wisconsin. Hearings were held this spring and while there was support from members of both parties, numbers were not great enough to take action on the bills. Other lawmakers believed the bills were nothing more than an election-year strategy to get publicity with no real hope of getting them passed.

A Marquette University poll indicated that 61% of Wisconsin voters favor legalization, with even higher percentages supportive of medical marijuana, with 80% in favor. Medical marijuana is now legal in 38 states.

Marijuana Charges in Wisconsin

For now though, marijuana cultivation, possession, or sale remains illegal in Wisconsin. Currently, possession of marijuana by a first-time offender is a first-degree misdemeanor. An offender may face a maximum fine of $1,000 and a maximum jail sentence of up to six months. After your first offense, subsequent arrests for marijuana possession are charged as a felony. This charge could carry a fine of up to $10,000 and jail time of up to 3.5 years. The manufacture, delivery, or distribution of marijuana is also a felony in Wisconsin, with jail time ranging from 3.5 years to 15 years and fines between $10,000 and $50,000 depending on the amount seized.

Fifteen cities in Wisconsin have decriminalized marijuana possession, with the quantity of the offense and the fine for possession varying by locale.

If you are arrested on drug charges for marijuana or any other controlled substance, it is important that you contact an experienced drug possession defense lawyer. The right attorney can provide a thorough review of your case, including whether the search of your property or vehicle was conducted legally, as well as exploring your options for reduced charges or drug diversion programs.

Contact a Menomonee Falls Drug Crimes Defense Attorney

If you have been charged with marijuana possession or any other drug crime, you can trust the Waukesha drug possession defense lawyers at Bucher, Wolff & Sonderhouse, LLP. We will help develop a strong defense and fight the charges against you. Call us today at 262-232-6699 for your free consultation.

Source:

https://www.wpr.org/assembly-majority-leader-says-wisconsin-marijuana-legalization-likely-some-point

https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2022/04/20/wisconsin-medical-marijuana-bill-gets-hearing-state-capitol/7381223001/

https://norml.org/laws/local-decriminalization/wisconsin-local-decriminalization/