LCO Cannabis Consultant Urges Tribes to Back GOP Medical Cannabis Bill

By Joe Morey

News Editor

A bipartisan medical cannabis bill drew hours of testimony at the Wisconsin Capitol on Wednesday, Oct. 22, as senators weighed whether a tightly regulated program could clear both chambers this session.

Thi Le, cannabis consultant to the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) Tribe, said the proposal was introduced in the Senate Committee on Health and opened for public testimony that day.

 “The authors stated that they understand it’s not perfect but it’s progress … and that it was written so that it could pass both houses,” Le said, noting roughly a dozen speakers appeared, including representatives of the Wisconsin Wellness Coalition, Lac du Flambeau, and Ho-Chunk Nation. LCO did not testify in person but watched the livestream.

According to Le, support was mixed: “Those I mentioned supported the bill. Opposition largely said it isn’t sufficient because of limits like no smokable flower, high licensing costs, and a mandate for an onsite pharmacist to guide dosing.”

Le’s assessment: “It’s not a good bill, and if I had a vested interest as a Wisconsin resident I could sympathize with that sentiment. However, I think tribes should offer public support so it can pass. Once it’s civil, that’s when LCO can establish its own regulatory program.”

Reporting by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel describes a framework that would “tightly regulate the cultivation, processing, testing and dispensing of medical cannabis” and create an Office of Medical Cannabis Regulation to oversee a patient and caregiver registry, licensing for growers, processors and labs, a seed-to-sale database, inventory tracking, and strict advertising limits. The bill would also require that sales be conducted by pharmacists, who could decline to participate.

The measure is authored by Republican leaders, including Senate President Mary Felzkowski of Tomahawk and Sen. Patrick Testin of Stevens Point.

Testin told colleagues it’s time to allow medical marijuana, sharing how cannabis eased his grandfather’s cancer symptoms. “It gave him his appetite back and it gave him time that he probably otherwise would not have had.”

Felzkowski said people with serious health conditions shouldn’t have to “travel to another state or break the law” to try an alternative medicine, framing the bill as “a starting point in the conversation.” (Quotes via Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.)

The filed bill is Senate Bill 534; legislative records show it was introduced in mid-October and referred to the Senate Committee on Health.

Despite GOP authorship, passage is uncertain. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos recently called the Senate bill “way too broad” to pass his chamber, saying he’s tried “for five or six years to find a way to get to yes,” but worries it could open a pathway to recreational use, comments he made to WISN-TV.

Public opinion continues to favor legalization. Earlier Journal Sentinel coverage cited Marquette Law School polling showing roughly two-thirds of Wisconsinites support legalizing marijuana.

Trade and patient advocates largely praised the access the bill could provide. At the same time, several medical and addiction groups raised cautions about the “medical” framing and pharmacist requirements. The Wisconsin Medical Society and the Wisconsin Society of Addiction Medicine flagged concerns during the Oct. 22 hearing.

Coverage from Marijuana Moment and Wisconsin Examiner underscored the bill’s strict controls (seed-to-sale tracking, licensing, pharmacist dispensing) and the authors’ push to move it “fairly quickly,” while noting continued resistance among some Assembly Republicans and criticism from Democrats who view the framework as overly restrictive.

Le said the testimony included representatives from Lac du Flambeau and Ho-Chunk speaking in support. "I’m hopeful the bill gains support from both houses and is ultimately signed into law so that people in WI can legally and safely access medicine for countless medical conditions," she stated. "Although the medical bill is restrictive I don’t think that aspect alone should prevent the passage of this bill. It’s imperative that the state and Tribes offer a regulated program to mitigate the perpetuation of the current illicit and unsafe market. This bill is a good first step, and a necessary one. As the legislators stated during the hearing 'its not perfect but it’s progress'." 

SB 534 remains before the Senate Committee on Health. If advanced, it would move to the full Senate, then the Assembly, where leadership has signaled skepticism. Gov. Tony Evers has long supported medical marijuana in principle, but any final package would need agreement across the Capitol.