Bill to legalize recreational use marijuana in Wisconsin introduced Thursday

State rep. believes it could be money maker for state.

A bill to legalize marijuana for recreational use is getting introduced again in Wisconsin.

It’s been tried before but Democratic state Rep. Melissa Sargent, of Madison, hopes Republican lawmakers are starting to realize the idea actually makes sense.

Sargent, who says she’s never smoked pot, believes recreational marijuana is a money maker for the state and could help solve current state fiscal issues involving schools and roads.  

The bill would allow people to grow their own but fewer plants than the 12 Sargent had in her last legalization push.

“This bill provides the opportunity to grow six plants of their own for personal use,” she said during a presentation on Thursday. “If you choose to grow more than six plant,s then there’s a process by which you can go out and get permitted.”

A new excise tax is part of the proposal, as is included information about marijuana in a normal school curriculum.

“It’s not advocating for usage of marijuana,” Sargent said. “What the school curriculum portion of the bill does, is it would treat marijuana in the same way in our school curriculums that we treat alcohol and other drugs.”

Sargent insists it’s not to be taken the wrong way.

“I’m not saying by legalizing marijuana in the state of Wisconsin that everybody should go out and get high tomorrow,” Sargent said, adding that she has some Republicans quietly supporting her legalization proposal.

The chances, however, of the bill getting even a hearing in Madison is considered unlikely.