AB 547/SB 534: Medical Cannabis

This bill establishes a tightly regulated medical cannabis program in Wisconsin, allowing registered patients and designated caregivers to possess and use medical cannabis products. It creates a new Office of Medical Cannabis Regulation to manage patient and caregiver registries and oversee dispensaries, while the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) licenses and regulates cannabis growers, processors, and testing labs. Products may be sold only in non-smokable forms—such as oils, tinctures, edibles, or patches—and must be lab-tested, labeled, and tracked from seed to sale.

Participation requires state residency, background checks, and strict security and confidentiality standards. The bill decriminalizes medical cannabis use for registered patients and caregivers but excludes users from employment protections and maintains employer drug policies. It also adds housing protections for lawful medical cannabis users, bans local governments from regulating medical cannabis operations, and exempts medical cannabis sales from state sales tax.