The Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association (ICIA) and the Wisconsin Tribal Task Force on Cannabis announced Tuesday the launch of its Wisconsin Wellness campaign dedicated to the legalization of medical cannabis in the state.
Wisconsin currently stands alone in the Upper Midwest for marijuana legislation as Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota legalized both medicinal and recreational usage of the drug, creating high demand for marijuana purchased in other states.
“Right now, there’s no bill for legalizing cannabis in our state,” Wisconsin Tribal Task Force on Cannabis founder Michael Decorah said during a press conference Tuesday. “Our citizens are having to make a choice of whether to really commit a crime to go get their medicine and bring it back to the state.”
Decorah and Ho-Chunk District II Rep. Kristin White Eagle stressed the health benefits of medical marijuana during their speeches.
"I have a personal story of my own grandfather, who was a prisoner of war in the Korean War and also did two tours in the Vietnam War, and I feel that this would have been maybe his lifesaver for not only his relationships and his family, but in his own state of mind and wellness,” White Eagle said.
While empirical evidence for the effectiveness of medical marijuana in treating post-traumatic stress disorder is inconclusive, many veterans with the condition have attested to its benefits in lessening their symptoms, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The Ho-Chunk Nation decriminalized marijuana on tribal lands in April, yet as a Schedule I drug, its use on Native American reservations is at the mercy of the federal government’s decision to prosecute, according to University of Michigan law professor Matthew Fletcher.
ICIA founder and cannabis entrepreneur Rob Pero believes the importance of Wisconsin Wellness lies in its ability to increase access to medical opportunities for Wisconsinites.
“There’s businesses out there that are really doing the due diligence to create good, viable medicine, and we want to make sure that those businesses are protected as well,” Pero said. “Whatever sort of legislation does roll out, we are not for criminalization, we are for regulation.”
Cannabis advocates Josh and Megan Lowe, who grow hemp in their backyard as allowed under provisions in the federal 2018 Farm Bill, said using marijuana helps their daughter, Norah, control her seizures as a result of living with Rett syndrome while avoiding negative side effects that occur from the usage of more traditional anti-seizure medication.
Research published by the NIH supports the conclusion the usage of THC does decrease the frequency of seizures and has a marked improvement on the health of patients who are resistant to antiepileptic medication.
Sen. Melissa Agard, D-Madison, joined the ICIA to tout the benefits of marijuana legalization for Wisconsin.
“Legalizing and taxing cannabis in Wisconsin just like we already do with alcohol will ensure that we have a controlled market that is safer for our communities and provide opportunities, health and security for people like Norah and other folks across the state of Wisconsin,” Agard said. “If we have full, responsible adult usage in the state of Wisconsin, we would have well over $160 million in additional tax revenue every single year.”
The Illinois Department of Revenue reportedly collected $417.6 million in taxes from marijuana dispensaries in 2023 while the state of Michigan collected $270 million in the same year.
