WI Cannabis Advocacy — ACLU, NORML, WISCOCAN, MPP, WI Hemp

WI Cannabis Advocacy — ACLU, NORML, WISCOCAN, MPP, WI Hemp Alliance

Wisconsin’s cannabis advocacy infrastructure: ACLU of Wisconsin (Advocacy Director Amanda Merkwae); WI NORML; Wisconsin Cannabis Activist Network (WISCOCAN) (Jay Selthofner, lead advisory-referendum organizer); Marijuana Policy Project Wisconsin; Wisconsin Hemp Alliance (President Rob Richard); Wisconsin Cannabis Safety Alliance; Wisconsin Marijuana Party.

Legal Disclaimer: This information reflects Wisconsin cannabis law as of May 2026 and is for educational purposes only. It is not legal advice. Laws and regulations change — always verify current rules with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) for Lydia's Law CBD; Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) for hemp or a qualified attorney. Cannabis remains illegal under federal law.

Last verified: May 2026

ACLU of Wisconsin

Website: aclu-wi.org
Advocacy Director: Amanda Merkwae.
2025 Report: "The State of Cannabis in Wisconsin" (January 2025) documenting the 5.29× Black-vs-white arrest disparity (worse than 4.2× in 2018).
Civil-rights-aligned cannabis advocacy; highway-interdiction reform; civil-asset-forfeiture work.

Wisconsin NORML

State NORML chapter; national affiliate.
Maintains Wisconsin Local Decriminalization tracker (last updated October 17, 2025).
Patient-education and consumer-side advocacy.

Wisconsin Cannabis Activist Network (WISCOCAN)

Website: wiscocan.org
Leader: Jay Selthofner.
Lead advisory-referendum organizer for 2014, 2018, 2022 cycles.
Advisory-referendum strategy substitute for absent ballot-initiative process.

Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) Wisconsin

Website: mpp.org/states/wisconsin/
National multi-state cannabis policy organization with state presence.
State-level legislative tracking; advocacy on Evers budgets and SB 534.

Wisconsin Hemp Alliance

Website: wishemp.org
President: Rob Richard.
Trade association for licensed hemp producers and processors.
Principal lobbying voice on federal hemp cliff (November 12, 2026) and state-level hemp-restriction bills SB 644 + SB 499.

Wisconsin Cannabis Safety Alliance

Website: makewilegal.org coalition.
Cannabis-policy reform coalition organizing.

Wisconsin Marijuana Party

Minor political party; ballot-access advocacy.

Legislative Cannabis Coalition

The legislative-side cannabis-reform coalition in Wisconsin spans both parties:

Sen. Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk, SB 534 lead, cancer survivor).
Sen. Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point, SB 534 cosponsor).
Rep. Patrick Snyder (R-Weston, SB 534 Assembly companion).
Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton, Senate Health Chair).
Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton, 2025 SB 1045 lead).
Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee, 2025 SB 1045 co-author).
Sen. Melissa Agard (D, now Dane County Executive, 2013-2024 longest-serving champion).

Legal-Services Note

Patients, employees, and defendants navigating Wisconsin cannabis law should consult licensed Wisconsin attorneys. Particular attention is warranted around:

Felony cliff exposure (any prior controlled-substance conviction triggers Class I felony).
OWI per se zero tolerance.
Cross-border-transport federal-felony exposure plus state-law liability.
Employment-at-will exposure including federal-employer drug-testing.
Civil-asset-forfeiture proceedings.