Wisconsin Fiscal Report Estimates $102.8 Million in Annual Medical Marijuana Sales if SB 534 is Enacted

The projection, detailed in a fiscal report for SB 534, comes just days after lawmakers held a public hearing where the majority of testimony strongly supported the measure. SB 534, introduced by Senate President Mary Felzkowski (R) and Senator Patrick Testin (R), along with Representatives Patrick Snyder (R), Dean Kaufert (R), Dan Knodl (R), Paul Melotik (R), and Todd Novak (R), would create a regulated medical cannabis system overseen by a new Office of Medical Cannabis Regulation within the Department of Health Services. The bill outlines qualifying conditions such as cancer, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, severe chronic pain, and terminal illness. Patients would pay $20 annually to register and could designate up to three caregivers.

Under the proposal, registered patients could access cannabis in non-smokable forms, including oils, tinctures, edibles, capsules, and vapors. Smoking marijuana would remain prohibited, though vaporizing would be allowed. Licensed pharmacists would be required to consult with patients before dispensing, and dispensaries could provide an initial 30-day supply, followed by 90-day refills as authorized. The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection would regulate growers, processors, and labs, with strict testing, packaging, and seed-to-sale tracking requirements.

During last week’s public hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Senator Testin emphasized that 40 other states have already legalized medical cannabis, saying, “It’s time for Wisconsin to join the majority of this country by adding another option that may help patients find the help they need.”

Felzkowski echoed the sentiment, arguing that Wisconsin voters deserve access to medical cannabis even though they lack a ballot initiative process. “It is time to give our friends, family, and neighbors suffering from chronic illness the freedom to use cannabis,” she said, citing polls showing 86% of Wisconsinites support medical marijuana legalization.

According to the Department of Revenue’s fiscal report, approximately 46,900 residents would likely register as patients, based on participation rates in nearby states. With an assumed average daily use of 20 milligrams of THC priced at $0.30 per milligram, annual sales are estimated at $102.8 million. The fiscal analysis notes that if medical cannabis was taxed under the state’s standard sales tax, the program would generate $5.1 million in state sales tax and $630,000 in local sales tax annually.

If passed, SB 534 would make Wisconsin the 41st state to legalize medical marijuana.