WI Republican-Backed Bill Could Pile On Hard Time For Marijuana Manufacturers

WISCONSIN — A Republican-authored bill to increase the felony level for people using butane extraction to make marijuana or separate resin from the cannabis plant will likely be voted on by the state Senate Tuesday.

AB 440 would increase the penalty from a Class I felony — punishable up to 3 and a half years in state prison — to at least a Class E felony — punishable by up to 15 years, according to the text of the bill.

It's already illegal for Wisconsin residents to have or use marijuana, but the new bill would make the penalty harsher for repeat offenders with weed made from resin. People previously convicted of a drug crime would face at least a Class H felony if they're found with three grams or less of resin.

Cannabis resin is a substance that occurs naturally inside a cannabis plant; it contains compounds like tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which can be consumed for a psychoactive high, according to Healthline Media.

State Rep. Kristina Shelton (D-Green Bay) said the legislation, disguised as a public safety bill, would further criminalize marijuana possession and push the state further away from legalizing recreation cannabis.

If the new bill were signed into law, Shelton it would close the loop for home production and for professionals in future manufacturing facilities, making it harder to produce and regulate legal weed if it were ever legalized in Wisconsin.

"This just creates another hurdle for when Wisconsin legalizes weed for recreational use," Shelton added.

Democratic state representatives have proposed their own marijuana legislation bill, AB 846, with the intention of legalizing the drug and creating a permit process for those who want to produce and process their own.

The bill was introduced Jan. 18 but has yet to be put on the Assembly's calendar.

Patch has reached out to Rep. Jesse James (R-Altoona,) who introduced AB 440 with 10 other Republican legislators. Patch also reached out to Rep. David Bowen (D-Milwaukee,) who proposed AB 846 with at least 31 other Democratic legislators.

It's not clear if Democratic Gov. Tony Evers will sign the Republicans' bill if it ends up on his desk.

Marijuana is fully legal in 17 states, including Illinois and Michigan, which both border Wisconsin.