Republican Chuck Wichgers does not support marijuana reform

Representative Chuck Wichgers Assembly District 83 (R - Muskego) — Representative Chuck Wichgers Assembly District 83 (R – Muskego)

March 19, 2019 Email Update from Assembly Rep. Chuck Wichgers (R-Muskego)

Marijuana: A Community Conversation

Right now, one of the biggest debates in Madison is whether or not the state should change its laws with respect to marijuana. Should it be legalized for medicinal purposes? Should we decriminalize recreational use? These questions have implications for other important policy issues facing the state, such as criminal justice and the opiod epidemic.

That is why I believe we need to be extremely careful in how we proceed, and why I participated in “Marijuana: A Community Conversation” at the Waukesha County Expo Center on March 7th, 2019. It was a well-attended and informative discussion about the myths and realities of marijuana today.

The most interesting and important takeaway from the event is that there is no definitive evidence that THC has any medical benefits, nor is there is any proof that it does not have medical benefits.

Based on experiences in other states, I remain 100% opposed to decriminalizing recreational marijuana. With regard to medicinal marijuana, I believe it is premature to consider legalization before its efficacy is confirmed scientifically. Only then, and with the assurance that it would be regulated as a Schedule II drug, would I support legalization.