Two Milwaukee alders want to get rid of the fine for marijuana possession up to one ounce. This came after Gov. Terry Evers proposed legalizing marijuana in Wisconsin. The legislature in Wisconsin is majority Republican and they say that this will not be happening any time soon. Currently in Milwaukee, possession of up to one ounce of marijuana can cost anywhere between $50 and $100. Madison, Wisconsin’s capital city, passed a municipal ordinance that allows for people to own a small amount of marijuana and paraphernalia. Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic is in charge of the effort to get rid of the marijuana possession fines and thinks that the state should be following Madison’s lead. She said, “We really don’t think we need to be filling up jail cells with people that have 1 ounce or less.”
Dimitrijevic and Alderman Khaliff Rainey are upset because of a recent ACLU study saying that in Milwaukee, Black people are 3.2 times more likely to receive a citation for marijuana possession than white people.
“It’s unacceptable and in government, if we’re not actively working to make changes in these injustices and inequities, I feel that we’re supporting a structure that’s enabling it,” Dimitrijevic said.
Municipal court records in Milwaukee show that charges for marijuana possession have decreased over the past ten years. In 2010, Milwaukee issued about 2,300 citations. It has decreased every year since, with only about 400 citations issued in 2020.
Gov. Evers wants to completely legalize marijuana and tax it for revenue. According to TMJ4 News, “Illinois netted more than $200 million in state taxes from recreational marijuana sales last year. Michigan says it has made about $50 million off marijuana taxes and business fees.”
Back in February, Rep. Scott Allen of Waukesha told TMJ4 News, "The last thing we should do as a state is be greedy and make a decision based on the projected revenue that we might get for that.”
Allen is also opposed due to a lack of research. "The problem is that we cannot have peer-to-peer reviewed medical studies as that as a drug whether it's ethically or its side effects because it is classified as a harmful drug,” he said.
On March 25 the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors voted 16-1 to reduce the fine in the county for marijuana possession to $1 plus court costs. Before this, the fine was between $250 and $500 plus court costs. The county issued 187 tickets for marijuana possession in 2019.
"Even if you believe in having fines in place, do we really want the government to fine people $400 to $650 for having a little bit of weed on them?" asked Milwaukee County Supervisor Shawn Rolland. "That’s a huge fine that probably creates, certainly creates significant financial hardship on anyone."
Supervisor Patti Logsdon was the one who voted against the measure. "Marijuana is considered an illegal drug in the state of Wisconsin," Logsdon said. "If they are seeking employment and the employer requires a drug test, they will fail and they will lose out on their employment opportunity. We should be encouraging them to go ahead and do well in school, and to go on to higher education and as we all know and are aware, and to do this, they need a clear mind. Reducing the fine to $1 would not discourage people, especially our younger generation from trying and using marijuana."
The $1 fine would apply for possession of up to 25 grams of marijuana. If a person had more than that they could face steeper fines at the state level.
As marijuana becomes more socially acceptable, it is more likely that restrictions will continue to ease up in other areas across the country.
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