Brown County marijuana debate: Erickson wants board to call on state for more regulation

Doug Schneider | Green Bay Press Gazette

Show Caption Hide Caption Howard woman wants chance to try medical marijuana for chronic pain A Howard, Wis. woman with chronic pain wants the opportunity to see if medical marijuana can help her conditions.

GREEN BAY - A Brown County supervisor wants the state to regulate substances derived from the marijuana plant — and he's calling on his fellow board members for support.

Bernie Erickson wants pharmacies to be the only place where Wisconsinites can legally buy all but the mildest products made from cannabis sativa, commonly known as marijuana, according to a draft resolution obtained by USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.

Citing "health and safety reasons," his proposal calls on the county board to ask the state to require a doctor's prescription for a person to obtain any product containing more than 0.3 percent THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.

"There's a danger if people can self-medicate by buying cure-alls at the checkout counter at the gas station," he said. "My doctor said marijuana-based products can do some good things, but they need to be handled properly."

His proposal as now written would call for regulation of all substances derived from the cannabis plant. But he said he plans to amend that on Monday to exempt products with low THC levels, such as Cannabidiol (CBD), that are already available as over-the-counter preparations.

The proposal would receive its first airing Monday. It's on the agenda for the 5:30 p.m. meeting of the executive committee at 305 E. Walnut St., Green Bay.

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Marijuana and the issues surrounding it have quickly become a dividing line for the current board, which took office in April.

In mid-July, supervisors spent five hours listening to public comment and debating whether to put two marijuana-related questions on the November ballot. The board split on both issues but eventually voted 16-10 to let residents vote on a question about legalizing medical marijuana, but defeated one about recreational cannabis, 15-11.

Supporters of the proposals tended to be younger and newer to the board. Opponents skewed older and tended to be among the panel's longer-serving members.

Because the questions were advisory in nature, neither would have changed any marijuana laws. Nor would Erickson's proposal.

Medical marijuana has been legalized in 29 states and Washington, D.C. Recreational pot is legal in the district and nine states. States where use is legal have seen tax collections increase significantly.

Michigan recently began licensing marijuana dispensaries. Two other states bordering Wisconsin — Minnesota and Illinois — allow some legal use of cannabis.

But in the Badger State, there is limited appetite in the Legislature to consider potential legalization, especially of recreational marijuana.

“I do not agree with recreational use … (it) opens up a whole can of worms," Senate Republican Caucus Chairman Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, told the Journal Times last month. "As for medicinal use? We can look at that.”

A handful of counties — Dane, La Crosse, Milwaukee, Rock and Sauk — have committed to putting marijuana questions on the November ballot.

Winnebago and Walworth counties this summer decided not to ask voters about marijuana.

Erickson represents part of Green Bay's west side.