Wisconsin might become the next Midwestern state to legalize weed

Wisconsin should legalize medical marijuana and decriminalize the use, growth, and sale of small amounts of recreational marijuana, Gov. Tony Evers (D) said Monday.

"As a cancer survivor, I know the side effects of a major illness can make everyday tasks a challenge," Evers said in his pitch for medical legalization. "People shouldn't be treated as criminals for accessing a desperately-needed medication that can alleviate their suffering."

The new governor's case for recreational decriminalization emphasized its implications for criminal justice reform. "Wisconsin has the highest incarceration rate in the country for black men," Evers noted in a press release, "and drug-related crimes account for as many as 75 to 85 percent of all inmates in our prisons."

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His proposal would bar law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin from creating their own rules and penalties to effectively reverse decriminalization. And it would expunge the records of those who have completed their sentences for past convictions of possession, production, or distribution of 25 grams of marijuana or less, which is the quantity this proposal would decriminalize.

The medical legalization portion of Evers' plan stands the better chance of success in Wisconsin's state legislature, where Republicans hold the majority in both houses. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R) has indicated support for medical marijuana but said Monday he does not support recreational decriminalization.

Michigan is at present the only Midwestern state with legal recreational marijuana use, though Minnesota, Illinois, and Ohio have legalized medical marijuana.