Wisconsin Governor Floats Marijuana Legalization In 2021 Budget To Boost Economy

The governor of Wisconsin is thinking about adding marijuana legalization to his 2021 budget proposal as a means to boost tax revenue amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in a recent interview, Gov. Tony Evers (D) said that adult-use legalization was on the table—despite facing opposition from the legislature over more modest cannabis proposals in the past.

While Evers attempted to get marijuana possession decriminalized and medical cannabis legalized through the budget in 2019, Republican leaders in the legislature nixed those measures from the final spending bill. There’s since been an open question about how the governor would navigate the issue this time around, but now he’s indicating he may go bolder.