Bipartisan Wisconsin lawmakers will soon be introducing a bill to decriminalize marijuana possession for first-time offenses.
Reps. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez (D) and Shae Sortwell (R) are in the process of circulating the draft legislation to build support among colleagues.
The text of the proposal hasn’t been formally filed yet, but the sponsors previously teamed up on similar reform cannabis decriminalization legislation that failed to advance to enactment.
Bipartisan Wisconsin lawmakers will soon be introducing a bill to decriminalize marijuana possession for first-time offenses.
Reps. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez (D) and Shae Sortwell (R) are in the process of circulating the draft legislation to build support among colleagues.
The text of the proposal hasn’t been formally filed yet, but the sponsors previously teamed up on similar reform cannabis decriminalization legislation that failed to advance to enactment.
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Under the latest proposal, people found in possession of up to 28 grams of marijuana for the first time would face a $100 fine, without a threat of jail time. Possessing more than 28 possession as a first offense would be punishable by a $1,000 fine and up to 90 days in jail.
Current law, by contrast, makes first-time possession of any amount of cannabis a misdemeanor offense that carries a maximum penalty of up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
The law also currently maintains that repeat offenders can be convicted of a Class I felony, with a sentence of up to three and a half years in prison and a maximum $10,000 fine.
The forthcoming bill, first reported by CBS 58 News, would also revise sentencing standards to make it so simple marijuana possession of up to 58 grams would not count toward repeat offenses for other drug-related crimes.
This latest cannabis reform proposal is being pitched within the legislature about a week after Wisconsin senators approved a separate GOP-led bill to legalize medical marijuana in the state.
The Senate Health Committee last week advanced the medical cannabis legislation from Senate President Mary Felzkowski (R) and Sen. Patrick Testin (R) in a 4-1 vote. This comes months after the panel held an initial hearing on the GOP-led proposal, which was introduced last October.
Read more at Marijuana Moment
