Senator Agard stops in Superior to promote marijuana legislation

In an effort to discuss the current landscape of cannabis policy in Wisconsin, Senate Democratic Leader Melissa Agard (D-Madison) has been going on a “Grass Routes” tour across Wisconsin. 

“ I have been introducing a bill to legalize cannabis for responsible adult usage in Wisconsin for about a decade, and despite the fact that nearly 70% of the people in Wisconsin support this policy, we haven’t been able to get a public hearing in the Capitol building,” said Agard. “What I’ve decided to do is travel around the state and make myself available to hear from people about their thoughts and ideas when it comes to cannabis in Wisconsin.”

The first leg of the “Grass Routes” tour included stops in Platteville, Wauwatosa, Eau Claire, and Wausau in May and June. Senator Agard was at the Superior Public Library on Wednesday as part of the second leg of the tour. 

“I know that the most dangerous thing about cannabis in Wisconsin is that it is illegal and that we are an island of prohibition with Illinois, Michigan and now Minnesota having legalized cannabis for responsible adult usage,” said Agard. “We’ve been all over the state and now we’re embarking on our second leg. I started last week in Madison and here we are in Superior and we’re going to continue traveling the state and meeting people and hearing directly from them, because I know that as a policymaker, it’s my job to listen to the voices and the values of the people of the state of Wisconsin and lift them up in the Capitol building.”

Each stop of the “Grass Routes” tour includes a presentation followed by a Q&A for those in attendance. Over the next few months, Senator Agard plans on visiting with community members, business owners, and local elected officials to encourage public and legislative support for the legalization of marijuana. 

“ It’s important to legalize cannabis in Wisconsin because we would be able to honor our farming and agricultural heritage in ways that we are not right now. We would be able to address people’s personal liberties and freedoms for folks right now, who can stop at a convenience store and purchase a six pack or their favorite spirit, but they’re not able to have access to the cannabis plant,” explained Agard. “Additionally, we can address the egregious racial disparities that currently exist in the state of Wisconsin, and we would be able to benefit from taking something that is already existing in the state of Wisconsin in the illicit market and bringing it above ground, making it safer through regulation and benefiting from the tax base that we would be able to to capitalize on.”

Future stops on the “Grass Routes” tour are as follows:

• Thursday, October 5 – Fond du Lac and Sheboygan, WI
• Wednesday, November 1 – Kenosha, WI
• Thursday, November 30 – Stevens Point, WI
• Thursday, December 7 – Rhinelander, WI