UPDATED: 10/08/2018 at 8:21:28 AM: 2018 has been a historic year for cannabis law reform in Wisconsin. On Nov. 6, sixteen Wisconsin counties and two cities, from the Michigan border to the Illinois border, from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River will have the opportunity to weigh in on Wisconsin’s archaic and punitive cannabis laws when they go to the polls to vote. While Dane County has twice held county cannabis advisory referendums and Madison and other Wisconsin cities held both advisory and binding referendums on cannabis in the 1970s, never before have so many Wisconsin voters had the chance to express their opinions on the cannabis issue. More than half of Wisconsin residents live in the 16 counties.
Ten of the counties will vote on medical use, another four on adult use and two more have multi-part questions. As the chart below indicates, Milwaukee County was the first to approve a cannabis advisory referendum, voting in late May. Racine County was the final county to approve, passing it Aug. 28, the last day to get it on the Nov. 6 ballot. Five more counties debated cannabis advisory referendums but did not approve them, St. Croix, Walworth, Fond du Lac, Winnebago and Outagamie counties.
Referendum Wording by County
Six of ten medical cannabis advisory referendums use the exact 32-word question. One more uses a 29-word variation of that. The remainder of questions, medical, adult-use or multiple choice all have wording unique to those counties. Below are all 16 questions.
| MILWAUKEE COUNTY: “Do you favor allowing adults 21 years of age and older to engage in the personal use of marijuana, while also regulating commercial marijuana-related activities, and imposing a tax on the sale of marijuana?” |
| ROCK COUNTY: “Should cannabis be legalized for adult use, taxed and regulated like alcohol, with the proceeds from the taxes used for education, healthcare and infrastructure?” |
| DANE COUNTY: “Should marijuana be legalized, taxed and regulated in the same manner as alcohol for adults 21 years of age or older?” |
| SAUK COUNTY: “Should the State of Wisconsin legalize medical marijuana so that people with debilitating medical conditions may access medical marijuana if they have a recommendation from a licensed Wisconsin physician?” |
| BROWN COUNTY: “Should cannabis be legalized in Wisconsin for medicinal purposes, and regulated in the same manner as other prescription drugs?” |
| LA CROSSE COUNTY: “Should the State of Wisconsin legalize the use of marijuana by adults 21 years or older, to be taxed and regulated in the same manner that alcohol is regulated in the State of Wisconsin, with proceeds from taxes used for education, healthcare and infrastructure?” |
| MARATHON COUNTY: “Should the State of Wisconsin allow individuals with debilitating medical conditions to use and safely access marijuana for medical purposes, if those individuals have a written recommendation from a licensed Wisconsin physician?” |
| PORTAGE COUNTY: “Should the state of Wisconsin allow individuals with debilitating medical conditions to use and safely access marijuana for medical purposes, if those individuals have a written recommendation from a licensed Wisconsin physician?” |
| CLARK COUNTY: “Should the State of Wisconsin legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes and regulate its use in the same manner as other prescription drugs?” |
| LANGLADE COUNTY: “Should the State of Wisconsin allow individuals with debilitating medical conditions to use and safely access marijuana for medical purposes, if those individuals have a written recommendation from a licensed Wisconsin physician?” |
| MARQUETTE COUNTY: Resolved, that “We the People” of Marquette County, Wisconsin, support the right of its citizens to acquire, possess and use medical cannabis upon the recommendation of a licensed physician, and;Be It Further Resolved, that we strongly support a statewide referendum requesting Wisconsin to join with thirty-two (32) other states that have already approved the use of medical cannabis for the treatment of chronic pain, several debilitating diseases and disabling symptoms. |
| EAU CLAIRE COUNTY: “Should cannabis: (Please select only one of the alternatives below or your vote will be invalid) _______(a) Be legal for adult, 21 years of age and older, recreational or medical use, taxed and regulated like alcohol, with the proceeds from the taxes used for education, healthcare, and infrastructure in Wisconsin? _______(b) Be legal for medical purposes only and available only by prescriptionthrough a medical dispensary? _______(c) Remain a criminally illegal drug as provided under current law?” |
| FOREST COUNTY: “Should the State of Wisconsin allow individuals with debilitating medical conditions to use and safely access marijuana for medical purposes, if those individuals have a written recommendation from a licensed Wisconsin physician?” |
| KENOSHA COUNTY: “Should the State of Wisconsin allow individuals with debilitating medical conditions to use and safely access marijuana for medical purposes, if those individuals have a written recommendation from a licensed Wisconsin physician?” |
| LINCOLN COUNTY: “Should the State of Wisconsin allow individuals with debilitating medical conditions to use and safely access marijuana for medical purposes, if those individuals have a written recommendation from a licensed Wisconsin physician?” |
| RACINE COUNTY: “1. Should marijuana be legalized for medicinal use?2. Should marijuana be legalized and regulated for adults 21 years of age or older?3. Should marijuana sales be taxed for state and local revenue?” |
Wisconsin Cities Holding Referendums
In the city of Racine, the proposal by District 3 alder John Tate II for a city cannabis advisory referendum was passed by the Racine City Council Monday and will appear on city ballots Nov. 6. The Racine Journal Times reported the council approved it on a 10-3 vote.
The city of Racine question was earlier split into three parts by the Public Works Committee, and the referendum language will ask if voters support:
*Cannabis legalization for medicinal use.
*Cannabis legalization for recreational use, taxed and regulated like alcohol.
*Proceeds from cannabis taxes being used to fund public education, health care and infrastructure.
In Waukesha, the seventh largest city in the state and largest city in Waukesha County with an estimated 2016 population of 72,363, the city council approved a medical cannabis advisory referendum at their August 7 meeting. The referendum was proposed by District 12 alder Aaron Perry, along with fellow alders Cassandra Rodriguez and Cory C. Payne. The final vote was 7-4 with no abstentions. The question before Waukesha voters will be: “Should cannabis be legalized in Wisconsin for medicinal purposes, and regulated in the same manner as other prescription drugs?”
Related coverage by Cannabadger
Wisconsin Justice Institute launches Vote Cannabis 2018 website
New Marquette Law school Poll finds 61% support for cannabis legalization in Wisconsin
Wisconsin cannabis possession arrests surged 5% from 2016 to 2017
Cannabadger coverage of Wisconsin county advisory referendums:
Articles from other sources:
Racine Journal Times: 16 counties, including Racine, to have referendums on marijuana on Nov. 6
WisBusiness.Com: Referendums on ‘dark store’ loophole, marijuana to go before voters in November
Wisconsin Elections Commission Spreadsheet listing of all Nov. 6, 2018 advisory referendums