Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) will propose legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes and regulating it to capture hundreds of millions in revenue as part of his annual state budget.
Evers, a first-term Democrat, said legal marijuana could generate more than $165 million annually, money he wants to use to fund community development especially in historically underserved areas.
“Legalizing and taxing marijuana in Wisconsin — just like we do already with alcohol — ensures a controlled market and safe product are available for both recreational and medical users and can open the door for countless opportunities for us to reinvest in our communities and create a more equitable state,” he said in a statement Sunday.
Evers’s proposal would give regulatory authority to the state Department of Revenue and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. It would limit residents to 2 ounces of marijuana and six plants, and it would limit all marijuana sales to products grown inside the state’s borders.