Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker signed a Bill into law last week that expands the use of the non-intoxicating cannabinoid, cannabidiol.
Senate Bill 10 builds on the 2013 Wisconsin Act 267 that made cannabidiol (CBD) legal in the state and permitted doctors and pharmacists to dispense it. However, Act 267, also known as Lydia’s Law, only allowed for patients with severe, debilitating epileptic conditions to benefit.
“Three years ago, we signed Lydia’s Law into effect, which cleared the way for a new treatment for people who suffer from seizure disorders,” Governor Walker said. “Today, we’re making it easier for people in our state to obtain CBD oil without a psychoactive effect to treat a medical condition as advised by their doctor.”
Governor Walker had earlier indicated support for a narrowly defined measure on medical marijuana.
Patients will be able to possess CBD oil as long a doctor has certified that the medicine is being used to treat some sort of medical condition. The certification must have an issue date no more than one year prior to the possession, and any expiration date provided by the physician noted on the certification must not have passed.
The state Senate overwhelmingly voted in favour of the Bill in February, 31 – 1, before it headed to the Governor’s office for his signature.
Wisconsin has rather tough laws on anything connected to cannabis, so this event represents a major victory.
According to NORML, A first offense for possession of any amount of marijuana in the state is a misdemeanor punishable by a hefty fine or imprisonment of up to 6 months. A second offense is treated a Class I felony.
With regard to industrial hemp (from which CBD can be extracted), the state was once a leading producer of the crop. Rep. Dave Considine recently introduced a Bill would make it legal to grow, process, and transport industrial hemp in Wisconsin again.
“At least 30 other states have enacted legislation that allows them to produce hemp for either research or commercial purposes,” said Rep Considene earlier this month.
“It’s time for Wisconsin to catch up.”
The full text of Assembly Bill 147 can be viewed here.
