Wisconsin Democratic Lawmaker Says GOP Speaker Pulled Kratom Bill From Floor To Avoid Medical Marijuana Showdown, As Poll Shows 86% Support [Video]

A Wisconsin Democratic lawmaker says he suspects Republican Assembly leadership pulled a kratom bill from floor consideration last week out of concern about an amendment he filed that would have forced a vote on medical marijuana legalization. The move came as the GOP speaker retreated on his own limited cannabis legislation that a top Republican senator criticized as anti-free market.

Meanwhile, a new poll shows overwhelming bipartisan support for medical cannabis legalization in Wisconsin, with 86 percent of registered voters in favor of the reform, including 78 percent of Republicans.

Rep. Darrin Madison (D) hatched the amendment plan with other members of his caucus ahead of last Thursday’s floor session: To show Democrats’ willingness to compromise on the issue, he and Rep. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez (D) moved to attach a comprehensive medical marijuana measure to an unrelated kratom bill, bucking accusations from GOP lawmakers that his party was only interested in complete adult-use legalization.

But Republican leadership ultimately removed the …