Wisconsin Democrats push a comprehensive cannabis bill, aiming to legalize medical and adult-use marijuana, while regulating potent hemp products.
State Sens. LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee) and Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) have sponsored and 45 of their Democratic colleagues have signed onto a bill that would legalize medical and adult use marijuana and regulate intoxicating hemp products.
Senate Bill 1045 would require the state Department of Health Services to create a medical marijuana patient registry for people suffering from a specified list of medical conditions, including cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder and several others. It would legalize the possession of up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana in public and two pounds at home by people 21 and over. They could also legally possess up to one gram of THC in an infused product, no more than 15 grams of cannabis concentrate, and no more than 12 plants per household.
The measure would limit the consumption of intoxicating hemp products to people 21 and over (there is currently no age restriction on hemp-derived products) and allow up to a relatively generous 10 milligrams of cannabinoids per 12-ounce beverage serving. Hemp-derived products containing more than this limit or in other formats would be regulated as marijuana.
With Republicans in control of the state legislature since 2013, efforts to advance marijuana law reforms have been stymied. Wisconsin is one of only eight states that does not have even a medical marijuana program, and the possibility of being jailed for possession of even small amounts of weed still exists. The legislature's Republicans are at odds with the public: A June 2025 Marquette University Law School survey had support for legalization at 67 percent.
"Wisconsinites have been clear for years that they support legalizing cannabis, and it is past time the Legislature listens," Johnson said in a statement. "Senate Bill 1045 reflects that reality by establishing a responsible, regulated framework that prioritizes public safety, supports local businesses and delivers real economic benefits for our state.
"This bill allows adults 21 and older to legally possess cannabis, creates a structured licensing system for production and sales, and ensures products are tested, labeled and kept out of the hands of minors," Johnson added. "It also creates a medical cannabis program for patients who need it and provides a path to expunge past convictions for low-level cannabis offenses, helping address long-standing disparities in our justice system."
For the bill to pass, small numbers of Republicans in both the House and Senate would have to join forces with the Democrats to win majorities. While the Republican leadership is belatedly now sponsoring a limited medical marijuana bill, Senate Bill 534, the prospects for the Democratic bill are the best they have been for a decade, as Republican legislative majorities shrink.
"The buzz around the state is that it’s high time we legalized cannabis," Larson said in a statement. "Unfortunately, a few out-of-touch Republicans are either too beholden to their buddies in the Tavern League or still believe the ‘Reefer Madness’ lies of the so-called ‘war on drugs’ to take meaningful action," he said.
"Either way, I’m proud to be a co-author of SB 1045, which would finally bring Wisconsin in line with our neighbors in Minnesota, Michigan, and Illinois – providing jobs, economic development and tax revenue to move our state forward. With fairer maps in place for this fall’s elections, we may very well have the opportunity to finally puff, puff, pass legal cannabis in 2027."
Gov. Tony Evers (D) has repeatedly proposed marijuana legalization in his state budgets and would almost certainly sign this bill if it gets to his desk this year. That would make Wisconsin the 25th state to free the weed and put it on the same trajectory as its Upper Midwest neighbors.
Legal marijuana programs have created a $2 billion licensed marketplace in Illinois, a $3 billion marketplace in Michigan, and $82 million in Minnesota, whose adult-use sales program launched last September.
In the event that the looming federal ban on most intoxicating hemp-derived products goes into effect in November as currently scheduled, the bill would recognize and tax "low-dose cannabis-infused products" as a replacement for intoxicating hemp products. Those products could be sold at any retailer, not just licensed marijuana outlets.
"Legalization also strengthens Wisconsin’s economy," Johnson said. "We already have proof of demand in our state through the hemp THC industry, where farmers, processors and retailers have built a successful supply chain and created thousands of jobs. With federal changes putting that industry at risk, doing nothing could mean losing those businesses altogether. Legalizing cannabis would provide a stable, regulated path for these operators to transition, protect local jobs and keep that economic activity here in Wisconsin. At the same time, our neighboring states are already seeing the benefits while we continue to fall behind."
"At the end of the day, this is about doing what is practical, what is fair and what Wisconsinites are asking us to do," Johnson said. "Senate Bill 1045 is a comprehensive approach that brings regulation, accountability and opportunity to a space that has gone too long without it."