Decriminalizing marijuana usually means just what it says — possessing small amounts is no longer prosecuted as a crime, typically a misdemeanor. Thirteen states treat marijuana that way.

But Gov. Tony Evers' plan to change Wisconsin's pot laws would go a step further and remove even civil citation penalties for having less than 26 grams of the drug, making it unique among the states, according to a new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum, a nonpartisan research organization.

The report, issued Tuesday in the organization's publication, The Wisconsin Taxpayer, notes that currently such civil penalties for first-time possession range widely among the state's largest cities, from as little as $1 in Eau Claire to $500 in Green Bay.

Those fines, and typically added court costs, often go unpaid resulting in arrest warrants and jail time, the report notes.

While Evers' plan, part of his state budget proposal, would stand out among the 13 other decriminalized states, it promotes full legalization only for medical marijuana, like 33 states, and not for recreational use, like 10 states, including neighboring Michigan.

Republican legislative leaders have said they have no interest in legalizing even medical marijuana. But the Policy Forum's report suggests lawmakers can't avoid the question forever, because of various levels of legalization in surrounding states and a growing interest by Wisconsin's electorate.

In a recent Marquette University Law School poll, more than 82% of Wisconsin voting-age respondents supported medical marijuana and nearly 60% supported legal recreational use.

The Policy Forum characterizes Evers' two-step approach as reasonable.

"His proposed medical program would keep the state in line with regional trends and public opinion, and his decriminalization proposal would create a uniform policy statewide," the article states. The report goes on to say Evers' proposed legalization of medical marijuana would give lawmakers some experience by which to consider broader legalization later on.

Proponents of liberalizing marijuana laws contend it would provide an alternative treatment for certain kinds of patients, raise revenue for the state and lessen racial imbalances in the justice system.

For instance, Evers would pair decriminalization with law changes to allow people to dismiss or expunge the records of prior convictions for possessing small amounts of marijuana.

But Evers' broader decriminalization falls far short of legalization under which marijuana could be sold legally, regulated and taxed.

The Policy Forum report examines Evers' proposal for medical marijuana. Sellers would have to be Wisconsin residents, and all the pot would have to be grown in the state and pass inspections for potency and impurities.

Between license fees for dispensaries, registration fees for patients and a 10% surcharge on top of the usual sales tax, medical marijuana would generate $2.4 million over two years, Evers' budget projects.

The report does remind readers that despite the various state law changes, marijuana remains a Schedule I controlled substance in the eyes of the federal government, illegal to possess. That "creates an uncertain environment for states with medical or legal marijuana programs," it states.

Melissa Baldauff, a spokeswoman for Evers, welcomed the Wisconsin Policy Forum report.

"As is the case with Medicaid expansion and increased funding for special education, the people overwhelmingly agree with the governor on legalizing marijuana for medical purposes."

Contact Bruce Vielmetti at (414) 224-2187 or bvielmetti@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ProofHearsay.