Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has been unsuccessful in his attempts to fully legalize marijuana in the state, but now he says he’ll support a Republican plan to legalize medical cannabis.
The Democrat told the Associated Press in an interview that he still prefers full legalization but is supportive of incremental change.
“I would think that getting it all done in one fell swoop would be more thoughtful as far as meeting the needs of Wisconsinites that have asked for it,” Evers said.
“But if that’s what we can accomplish right now, I’ll be supportive of that.”
Republican lawmakers, who have blocked previous efforts by Democrats for full legalization, are working on an MMJ bill that will be made public this month.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said the bill is similar to Minnesota’s more limited approach to medical cannabis legalization, where only those with certain qualifying conditions can access the medication.
“I’m glad that the governor is open to supporting our proposal,” Vos told the AP.
“But if he keeps saying it’s only a precursor to recreational marijuana, it will kill this proposal.”
