Weed is still illegal in Wisconsin; however, over the last six years, an explosion of CBD and hemp-derived THC products have entered the market. That comes after the federal 2018 Farm Bill allowed farmers to grow hemp which is the cannabis plant. As State Senator Melissa Agard has coined it, Wisconsin has become an “island of prohibition.” According to the Wisconsin Policy Forum, nearly half of Wisconsinites over the age of 21 live within a 75-minute drive to a legal dispensary in another state. 
Meanwhile, at the state level, lawmakers have continually introduced bills in the statehouse that would loosen marijuana regulations. Proposals from Democrats have been comprehensive, with far reaching impacts, including in the criminal legal system — removing it as a crime and expunging criminal records. Even some Republicans have introduced bills. At the start of the year, Republican lawmakers introduced a plan for dispensing medical marijuana at five locations across Wisconsin. Previous Republican plans have called for medical marijuana in pill form. 
Cannabis legalization continues to grow as a popular reform, with support from both Democrats and Republicans. The Marquette Law School poll started polling over support for legalization more than a decade ago. That polls shown that support for legalization of marijuana has grown for both Republicans and Democrats since 2013, with a slim majority of Republicans supporting legalization as of the latest poll in 2022. 
Now, tribal members are leading a new push to legalize medical marijuana. The “Wisconsin Wellness” campaign, aims to educate on the potential uses of cannabis to treat PTSD and chronic pain, and to ultimately legalize medical cannabis. It is a partnership of the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association (ICIA) and the Wisconsin Tribal Task Force on Cannabis. On today’s show host Chali Pittman, talks with ICIA founder Rob Pero about the campaign and the future of the cannabis industry in Wisconsin.

Rob Pero is the founder of the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association, a national cannabis advocacy organization. He is also the founder and owner of  Cannidigenous ,the first independent Indigenous-owned hemp company in Wisconsin. He’s also an award-winning film producer, and enrolled member of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa.
Photo by Esteban López on Unsplash
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