Kriss Marion (D) to challenge Todd Novak (R)

Wisconsin saw two versions of medical marijuana legislation for the 2019-2020 session and Rep. Novak sponsored both of them. 

With 84% of his district supporting medical marijuana reform and citizen lobbyists in the district reporting this rep supported medical cannabis, we expected Rep. Novak to make a move and award him a B+ for being one of the first Republicans in way too long to sponsor medical marijuana legislation.

Holds office State Assembly District 51

Sponsored Legislation:

AB 570 Medical with Home Grows

Assembly Bill 750 Creation of a Medical Marijuana Program (no home or caregiver grows and no smoking products)

Contact Todd Novak, Email:Rep.Novak@legis.wisconsin.gov, Web: http://legis.wisconsin.gov/assembly/51/novak, Phone: 608-266-7502

Link to Full Candidate Scorecard

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We are familiar with Kriss Marion from her 2018 Senate campaign in which she was a full supporter legalizing marijuana. Here is the 2018 candidate question and answer:

1. Do you support a legal, regulated, and taxed market for recreational cannabis, allowing Wisconsin residents over the age of 21 to purchase and possess up to two ounces (or more) of cannabis from regulated dispensaries, as proposed by State Rep. Melissa Sargent’s (D-Madison) AB482?

Yes.

2. Do you support allowing any Wisconsin resident over the age of 21 to grow up to 6 (or more) cannabis plants at home without a license, as proposed by AB482?

I would prefer to allow licensed farmers to grow in a caregiver role like MT or OR. I want the legalization of cannabis to help WI farmers diversify and the state to profit without big business or industrial agriculture taking over. MINIMAL licensing!

3. Do you support allowing patients suffering from various ailments to purchase and use cannabis as treatment for their ailments if they have a doctor’s recommendation?

YES

4. Do you agree with the qualifying conditions for medical cannabis outlined in Section 42 of AB482 (listed below)?

(2) "Debilitating medical condition or treatment" means any of the following:
(a) Cancer; glaucoma; acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; a positive test for the presence of HIV, antigen or nonantigenic products of HIV, or an antibody to HIV; Crohn's disease; a hepatitis C virus infection; Alzheimer's disease; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; nail patella syndrome; Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome; post-traumatic stress disorder; or the treatment of these conditions.
(b) A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or the treatment of such a disease or condition that causes cachexia, severe pain, severe nausea, seizures, including those characteristic of epilepsy, or severe and persistent muscle spasms, including those characteristic of multiple sclerosis.
(c) Any other medical condition or any other treatment for a medical condition designated as a debilitating medical condition or treatment in rules promulgated by the department of health services under s. 50.81 (2).

YES

5. Answer this question only if you support both recreational and medicinal uses of cannabis. Do you support allowing medical cannabis patients to possess more cannabis than recreational users and to be exempt from the taxes that are imposed on recreational users?

I support both, but I like the idea of taxing both for the sake of revenue.

6. Do you support a permitting system that would enable publicly-accessible establishments to allow legal possessors of cannabis to smoke it in outdoor areas at their establishments? This would address an issue present in other states’ implementations, where many people are legally allowed to purchase and possess cannabis, but have no place to legally consume it.

I think it would be reasonable to smoke cannabis anywhere where people can smoke cigarettes or have open intoxicants.

7. Do you support conviction expungement or pardons for anyone convicted of possession, growing, and/or selling cannabis in Wisconsin?

YES

8. Do you support or would you consider any other cannabis regulatory or legalization scheme for Wisconsin

YES

9. Do you believe that possession of limited amounts of cannabis by a person in his or her own home or in another’s home with the owner’s permission should be legal in the State of Wisconsin?

YES

10. What level of taxes do you think should be imposed on recreational cannabis?

I haven’t thought through this, but we have plenty of systems in other states to look at, and I like the MT and OR approaches because they are stimulating small business development, community revitalization and farm opportunities.

11. How do you think that tax revenue should be used?

I know many lobbies are talking about what they would do with the $$! I would advocate for farmer retraining; agricultural innovation; rural redevelopment and behavioral health programs targeted toward rural communities.

12. Why is cannabis law reform an important issue to you?

I am very interested in rural behavioral health, as a board member of SWCAP. I am very interested in rural redevelopment and farm diversity. I am also committed to justice for young people incarcerated for minor infractions who’s lives get derailed for cannabis use and possession. Finally, we need to get those incarcerated for these infractions back into our shrinking workforce.

Additional Comments

Let’s do this!

Learn more about Kriss Marion and her campaign at https://www.krissforwisconsin.com/ and follow the campaign on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pg/KrissForWisconsin

Wisconsin’s 51st Assembly District contains parts of Sauk, Richland, Iowa and Lafayette Counties. The district is located in south western Wisconsin, along the border of Wisconsin and Illinois

Learn more about how to register to vote at MyVote.wi.gov

Learn more about requesting an absentee ballot / voting by mail at MyVote.Wi.Gov