- Emily Drayton, Staff Writer
Wisconsin Loses When Republicans Win
Our daily cannabis news cruise always includes The Lake Geneva Regional News from America’s Dairyland, The Badger State, home of the CheeseHeads and the big ole' football liar Aaron Rogers: The Great State of Wisconsin.
THE SCOOP
Last week our friend from the State of Cannabis News Hour, Eric Hiss-Loreda, reported on how Wisconsin state Senate Republicans blocked a bill put forward by a Democratic Senator to force a vote to legalize cannabis.
" … Senator Agard, the Democrat, has introduced a bill to legalize REC in each of the last FIVE legislative sessions. She has 40 co-authors and co-sponsors" and guess what: all Democrats in a very Republican Legislature.
BUT since Wisconsin Republicans are all about WINNING whether it means lying to the NFL about vaccination status OR trying to steal a presidential-election they LOST by submitting in fraudulent documents by fraudulent electors to the Federal Government – we'll write you in PRISON, kids! - Let’s see what the Republicans have WON for the state of Wisconsin by blocking cannabis legalization in my headline for today:
Neighboring states of Illinois and Michigan have legalized cannabis, so they are pretty good weathervanes to see which way the wind is blowing in the upper Midwest.
In 2 years ILLINOIS cannabis sales were $2 Billion with 20% coming from out of state, filling state coffers with $500 Million in tax revenue. Senator Agard said, “When I look at the dispensary parking lot in South Beloit, I see 90% or more Wisconsin license plates.”
· And how many of those tax dollars have Republicans “won” for Wisconsin? ZERO
Illinois also reports more than 16,000 CANNABIS JOBS according to the 2021 Leafly Jobs Report.
How many CANNABIS JOBS have Republicans won for Wisconsin workers? ZERO
Those jobs would reduce Wisconsin unemployment by 18% [according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics]
MICHIGAN’s U.P. (Upper Peninsula, I learned from Priscilla) also borders Wisconsin on the north. The State of Michigan has sold just south of $1 Billion in cannabis and collected about $250 Million in tax revenues.
How much cannabis tax revenue was won by Republicans for Wisconsin? ZERO
WORKFORCE: Michigan doubled its cannabis workforce in 2020 during the height of the pandemic to 18,000 CANNABIS JOBS now. There are more cannabis workers than cops, according to Leafly.
· How many of those 18,000 jobs? ZERO
Well done, Wisconsin Republicans, you are WINNING indeed!
WHAT ARE TAX REVENUES DOING FOR NEIGHBORING STATES?
That’s a whole lotta tax dollars flowing like sweet sweet honey into neighboring states – what are those tax dollars going to pay for?
ILLINOIS: "These tax revenues will finance programs in communities hardest hit by the drug war, with a large chunk going to fund grants … (GRANTS that will stay in the community and do not have to be paid back.) And $100 million into the Illinois’ general fund."
MICHIGAN: $20 million per year will go to clinical trials for veterans’ medical conditions and preventing veteran suicide. Funds will also go to a K-12 school aid fund and infrastructure.
And what do you get for cannabis in Wisconsin? A FELONY.
Thanks for all the WINNING, Wisconsin Republicans.
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Image source: ironhorsefarm.org
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