Minnesota’s governor signs bill legalizing recreational marijuana, so what’s next in WI?

Wisconsin is an ‘island’ where neither medical nor recreational marijuana is legal

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed legislation Tuesday, May 30, 2023, legalizing the use of recreational marijuana, making it the 23rd state to do so.

“This has been a long journey with a lot of folks involved,” Walz said during a signing ceremony at the State Capitol.

The move solidifies Wisconsin even more as a state surrounded by others that have legalized either recreational and/or medical marijuana use.

“We are surrounded,” Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said Tuesday in response to Minnesota’s action. “We are an island, and all that tax money that Wisconsinites spend across the border should be coming to us, not to other states.”

Evers included legalizing marijuana as part of his state budget proposal — a provision Republicans quickly stripped away.

“The speaker’s made clear he doesn’t want anything to do with this, and he controls his part of the world,” Evers said.

Private conversations are ongoing among a group of Assembly Republicans regarding legislation that would legalize medical marijuana.

“We are looking to say medical marijuana for people who have a truly awful long-term medical condition should be something we at least consider,” Assembly Speaker Robin Vos recently said in an interview for “UPFRONT.” “So I don’t think we’re going to have anything before this fall. We are trying to be very deliberate in something that can stick up with our principles. I don’t think recreational (marijuana) should ever happen.”

Recent public polling by Marquette Law School indicates about two-thirds of Wisconsinites support legalization.