In 2020, shortly after the Black Lives Matter protests began in Wisconsin, Governor Evers called for “action to dismantle systemic racism”. Now, Evers is proposing an essential step to achieving that goal — by ending cannabis prohibition in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin is currently one of less than a dozen remaining states in the US that fully outlaws cannabis, and it’s clear that those laws have been used as a weapon to target communities of color. While only 7% of Wisconsin’s population is Black, 25% of the 89,000 Wisconsinites arrested for marijuana offenses over the last five years were Black, and four Wisconsin counties (Ozaukee, Manitowoc, Washington and Waukesha) are listed in the top 15 worst in the entire nation for racial disparities on cannabis arrests. In Ozaukee County for instance, Black cannabis users are nearly 35 times more likely to be arrested than white cannabis users.
“The consequences of those arrests can be long-lasting,” states Natalie Yahr of Wisconsin Watch. “Arrest and conviction records can make it harder to get jobs, professional licenses, housing, financial aid for higher education and government assistance.”
In Wisconsin, employers and landlords frequently use criminal record checks, freely available at Wisconsin Circuit Court Access website, to exclude candidates from jobs or housing, and the damaging impacts spread to partners and children too. According to The Annie E Casey Foundation, which studies the impacts of incarceration on families, family income drops by an average of 22% when fathers are imprisoned, which means family members of incarcerated people are more likely to face food shortages and eviction.
“The weaponization of drug possession laws, particularly marijuana, has been the driver of the state of ramped mass incarceration in which we find ourselves.” said Milwaukee County Executive, David Crowley. “We have lost a generation of men and women to the failed war on drugs and mass incarceration — how many more must be lost before we have the courage to do something about it?”
So how does Wisconsin move forward?
Wisconsin can follow a simple formula: Fully legalize cannabis. Expunge records. Invest in communities most impacted by the war on drugs.
As well as dismantling a tool of systemic racism, legalization will bring numerous benefits for all Wisconsinites.
Right now, Wisconsin needs a recovery.
Wisconsin leads the nation in farm bankruptcies, and the tourism industry is struggling too. In other Midwest states, however, cannabis has proven to be a job creation engine. In Oklahoma alone, which only has medical marijuana, 7,300 cannabis related jobs were created in 2019. Cannabis creates jobs and opportunities in farming, technology, manufacturing, retail, transport, events, hospitality, business services — even ‘cannabis instagram influencer’ is a growing job title.
Right now, Wisconsin needs strong communities.
As part of its legalization program Illinois has cleared nearly 500,000 cannabis-related arrest records. With a similar approach Wisconsin can reduce its prison population, reunite separated families and strengthen communities expunging records and investing in the neighborhoods that need it the most. Every taxpayer would also benefit from potential saving of tens of millions of tax dollars by reducing the costs of policing and incarceration too.
Right now, Wisconsin needs tax revenue.
The pandemic has had a major impact on budgets of our cities and counties, who are being forced to cut services and delay projects. Colorado, which has a similar sized population to Wisconsin, earned over $387m in tax revenue from cannabis sales in 2020. That revenue helps funds a range of youth and public health programs in Colorado, including mental health services, youth literacy initiatives and anti-bullying programs in schools.
Despite prohibition, several Wisconsin businesses are already providing a range of services to cannabis companies across the US too. Wausau based Roastar, for instance, provides packaging, Pope Scientific in Saukville provides distilling equipment, and Glendale based Teklynx provides barcoding services. Continued opposition from the GOP blocks opportunities for local businesses like these to grow and contribute to Wisconsin’s tax base further.
Right now, Wisconsin needs to invest in wellness services.
The quarantine has magnified mental health struggles, calls to help lines have surged and sales of alcohol have increased 50% — yet Wisconsinites with anxiety, chronic pain, PTSD, depression, or cancer are forced to become criminals if they seek out a safe, natural alternative to deadly opioids and pharmaceuticals. Medical cannabis is endorsed by numerous organizations, including the American Public Health Association, AIDS Action Council, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, American Nurses Association, and the Epilepsy Foundation.
These are the reasons why more than 80% of Wisconsinites support legal and safe access to medical marijuana, so the lack of progress isn’t because voters are unwilling, it’s simply because a handful of Republicans in the state legislature refuse to listen to their constituents — and with so many good reason to end prohibition, we have to question the motives of electeds who continue to oppose it.
Cannabis prohibition isn’t the sole cause of Wisconsin’s racial inequities and legalization won’t solve all of the social issues in the state, but it will be a vital step towards equity. As Erik Altieri, NORML Executive Director says, “its criminalization is one of the tools commonly used to justify and perpetuate these injustices. Will ending marijuana prohibition be a small step toward the greater goal of promoting justice? Without a doubt, yes.”
There is, perhaps, one silver lining to Wisconsin’s tardiness on legalization, as we can learn from the mistakes of the States who have gone before us. Wisconsin now has an opportunity to not only legalize, but to do it in a way that delivers equity and reparations to the communities most harmed by the failed war on drugs.
So, if we want to make genuine progress to dismantling systematic racism in Wisconsin, we must take action to dismantle prohibition. Together we must act to support the legalization of cannabis, and ensure that legalization includes expunging records and healing communities. While opposition is inevitable, it’s essential that their outdated views are not the loudest voices.
Here are a few ways to take action:
Learn more about the Last Prisoner Project and their work on criminal justice reform.
Contact your local Wisconsin electeds to share your thoughts — find your local reps here: https://maps.legis.wisconsin.gov/
Take part in the State legislature’s virtual budget listening session on April 28, 2021, or submit a comment to budget.comments@legis.wisconsin.gov.
Oh, and Cannabis and Beer Can Work Together Too
The powerful Tavern League in Wisconsin is often cited as a reason why cannabis legalization hasn’t moved forward in the state, due to fear that cannabis will impact alcohol sales. Ironically, however, Molson Coors, owner of Wisconsin’s largest brewery, is showing what the future of cannabis and brewing may actually look like. In August 2020, Molson Coors released a cannabis-infused lineup of beverages under the Truss brand, now available in Canada and Colorado. The pivot proves that continuing opposition from the Tavern League may actually limit the business opportunities of their own members.
