INTERVIEW: When will weed be legal in Wisconsin?

MADISON, Wis. (WBAY) - Tuesday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill into law that legalizes recreational marijuana use for people over 21. It takes effect in August, making Minnesota the 23rd state in the U.S. to legalize marijuana for recreational use.

Wisconsin is now surrounded by states legalizing the drug -- in Iowa it’s for medicinal purposes only -- and the Wisconsin Policy Forum reported in February that 50% of Wisconsinites 21 and older live within 75 miles of a legalized state.

We interviewed State Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard, a Democrat from Dane County, who’s the leading proponent in the Senate for marijuana legalization. When does she think legalization will happen in Wisconsin?

We asked Sen. Agard if momentum is building in the Legislature to join our neighboring states and how much tax revenue and potential income Wisconsin is losing to other states (it’s in the millions of dollars). She also talks about the prevailing arguments against legalizing marijuana here and the message she uses to counter those arguments.

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