Legislation to depenalize the possession and cultivation of limited quantities of marijuana in Wisconsin was never considered by members of both the House and Senate this legislative session.
Assembly Bill 246 would have eliminated, “1) the penalty for possession of marijuana if the amount of marijuana involved is no more than 25 grams; 2) the penalty for manufacturing or for possessing with the intent to manufacture, distribute, or deliver if the amount of marijuana involved is no more than 25 grams or the number of plants involved is no more than two; and 3) the penalty for distributing or delivering marijuana if the amount of marijuana involved is no more than 25 grams or the number of plants involved is no more than two.” Its senate companion bill was SB 167.
The bills also sought to prohibit “establishing probable cause that a person is violating the prohibition against possessing more than 25 grams of marijuana by an odor of marijuana or by the possession of not more than 25 grams of marijuana.”
Annually, state and local police make some 16,000 marijuana possession arrests. The state ranks 19th in the nation in per capita marijuana possession arrests. Under state law, first-time marijuana possession offenses are classified as a criminal misdemeanor punishable by up to six-months in jail and a $ 1,000 fine. Subsequent offenses are classified as felony offenses, punishable by up to 3.5 years in prison and a $ 10,000 fine.
NORML would like to thank those of you who contacted your state lawmakers and urged their support for these common sense reforms.
For more information on this and other state-specific reform activities, contact your regional NORML chapter here.
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws – Advocacy Campaigns
