The open pastures of Wisconsin may be getting a whole lot greener.<\/p>\n
After decades of demonization, marijuana is now either legal or decriminalized in 23 states, and business is booming. Legal recreational pot is a multi-billion dollar industry. And there\u2019s still a lot <\/em>of money to be made even in states where it\u2019s only been legalized medically. Now Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, renowned cool guy<\/a>, wants to get in on that action.<\/p>\n In the\u00a0next state budget<\/a>, Evers will propose decriminalizing marijuana, in addition to legalizing it for medical purposes. It comes as part of an overhaul of the state\u2019s marijuana laws that could see people with possession convictions (in small amounts) get their records expunged. And honestly, it\u2019s hard to see the downside in any of this.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not just about access to health care,\u201d Evers said<\/a> in a Monday morning press conference. \u201cThis is about connecting the dots between racial disparities and economic inequity.\u201d<\/p>\n Wisconsin has the highest incarceration rate in the country for Black men, and drug-related offenses make up as much as 75-85% of inmate populations.<\/p>\n By decriminalizing marijuana, we\u2019ll begin to address racial disparities and cycles of poverty in communities across our state.<\/p>\n \u2014 Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) February 18, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n