Wisconsin

Navigating Wisconsin Medical Cannabis Laws

In 2014, Lydia’s Law (AB 726) was enacted, allowing patients with seizure disorders to access and possess CBD treatment with THC limited to 0.3% or less, but there is no patient registry, no licensed dispensary system, and no formal program infrastructure. The 2019 Wisconsin Act 68 later amended the law to expand eligibility beyond seizure disorders. Under current law, a pharmacy or physician-approved may dispense cannabidiol products as a treatment for a medical condition, and a licensed physician may issue an individual a certification stating that the individual possesses a cannabidiol product to treat a medical condition.

Senate Bill 534 (2025), which would have established a comprehensive regulated medical cannabis program in Wisconsin, was introduced in October 2025 and passed out of committee in February 2026. The bill did not receive a floor vote before the legislature adjourned and did not become law. As of the date of this publication, no comprehensive medical cannabis program legislation has been enacted in Wisconsin.

Although Wisconsin does not yet have a comprehensive medical cannabis program, advocates and patients are working to change that. Interested in advocating for medical cannabis patients' rights? Find out how you can work with Americans for Safe Access to support patients in your community and across the country.

*UPDATE: AG ORDER NO. 6754-2026 CHANGED FEDERAL CANNABIS LAWS ON APRIL 28, 2026. Learn more here. It is important to stay active, engaged, and informed. Sign up to get ASA updates.

Patients and their caregivers should be aware that their rights and legal protections* vary by state, age, and even the chemical composition of a product. Medical professionals have federal protections to discuss cannabis medicines with their patients, but incorporating them into their patients' treatment regimen is a very different process than writing a prescription. Laws and regulations are constantly evolving and require consistent advocacy to ensure better patient outcomes.

Americans for Safe Access has taken the guesswork out of navigating applicable laws, regulations, and available resources with these stakeholder resources.  

Get Involved! Learn more about ASA Campaigns and Take Action to improve the lives of medical cannabis patients today! 

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Navigating Wisconsin State Laws:

Patients and Caregivers: Enrolling and Accessing Medical Cannabis

Medical Professionals: Procedures for recommending Medical Cannabis

Policymakers and Advocates: Actions Needed to Improve Laws for Patients

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For more information about cannabis safety, download ASA's "What’s in Your Cannabis? A Patient & Consumer Guide to Navigating Cannabis Safety."

Get involved locally!

Background on State Laws

CBD treatment is legal in Wisconsin. The program limits patients to cannabidiol preparations with 0.3 percent or less THC, in compliance with USDA hemp standards and authorizes in-state production according to those rules. Lydia’s Law (AB 726) was enacted in 2014, which created a legal right for access, possession and use for patients with seizure disorders. Since then, it has been revised to expand legal access. Details on how these laws apply to patients and medical professionals can be found below.

Here is a breakdown of how Wisconsin fared in ASA’s Annual State of the States Report, which evaluates the effectiveness of each state cannabis program from a patient perspective and assigns a grade using a rubric that reflects the key issues affecting patient access. Medical cannabis laws are constantly changing, ASA’s policy recommendations for Wisconsin can be found below. For policy updates Sign Up here or Take Action!

Patient Rights and Civil Protections	24/100
Arrest Protection 12/25 Affirmative Defense 12/20 Parental Rights Protections 0/20 DUI Protections 0/10 Employment Protections 0/20 Explicit Privacy Standards 0/5
Access to Medicine	0/100
Authorizes Retail Access 0/10 Alternative Accessibility Methods 0/20 - Authorizes Delivery 0/10 - Authorizes Curbside Pickup 0/10 Personal Cultivation 0/15 Collective Gardening 0/5 Sufficient Number of Licensed Retailers 0/30 Reciprocity 0/20
Program Functionality	36/100
Legal Protections Within Reasonable Time Frame 20/20 Reasonable Possession Limits 10/10 Reasonable Purchase Limits 0/10 Telemedicine for Physician Certifications 0/15 Patient and Physician Representation in Program Decision Making 0/20 Reasonable Caregiver Standards 0/5 - Background Checks 0/2 - Number of Caregivers 0/3 Reasonable Physician Standards 5/5 Access to Administration Methods 1/10 - Allows Dried Flower 0/5 - Allows Edibles, Concentrates, and Other Forms 1/5 Provides Access to Minors on School Grounds 0/5
Affordability	50/100
Sales Tax Break for Patients and Caregivers 0/20 Covered by State Insurance or Health Aid 0/20 Reasonable Registration Fees 20/20 Financial Hardship Waivers or Discounts 20/20 Donation Program 0/10 Allows Multi-Year Registrations 10/10
Health and Social Equity	16/100
State Program Protections 0/25 Housing Protections 0/25 Access for Minors 6/10 Access in Underserved Areas 0/10 List of Qualifying Conditions is Exhaustive or All Inclusive 10/10 Allows Patients to Medicate Where they Choose 0/10 Organ Transplants 0/5 Ownership or Employment Restrictions 0/5
Consumer Protection and Product Safety	0/200
Cultivation Operations 0/50 Quality Management Systems 0/10 Staff Training 0/10 Standard Operating Procedures 0/8 - Facility and Equipment Sanitation 0/1 - Workplace Safety 0/1 - Storage 0/1 - Batch and Lot Tracking 0/1 - Security 0/1 - Waste Disposal 0/1 - Water Management 0/1 - Records Management 0/1 Pesticide Usage Limitations 0/2 Environmental Impact Regulations 0/2 Required Testing 0/8 - Cannabinoids 0/1 - Terpenes 0/1 - Microbials 0/1 - Aflatoxins 0/1 - Pesticides 0/1 - Heavy Metals 0/1 - Foreign Matter 0/1 - Moisture Content/ Water Activity 0/1 Packaging and Labeling 0/3 - Cannabinoids 0/1 - Terpenes 0/1 - Pesticides 0/1 Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting, and Recall Protocol 0/7 Manufacturing Operations 0/50 Quality Management Systems 0/10 Staff Training 0/10 Standard Operating Procedures 0/7 - Facility and Equipment Sanitation 0/1 - Workplace Safety 0/1 - Storage 0/1 - Batch and Lot Tracking 0/1 - Security 0/1 - Waste Disposal 0/1 - Records Management 0/1 Environmental Impact Regulations 0/3 Required Testing 0/10 - Cannabinoids 0/1 - Terpenes 0/1 - Microbials 0/1 - Aflatoxins 0/1 - Pesticides 0/1 - Heavy Metals 0/1 - Residual Solvents 0/1 - Homogeneity 0/1 - Foreign Matter 0/1 - Water Activity 0/1 Packaging and Labeling 0/5 - Cannabinoids 0/1 - Terpenes 0/1 - Ingredients 0/1 - Allergens 0/1 - Nutritional Content 0/1 Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting and Recall Protocol 0/5 Dispensary Operations 0/50 Staff Training 0/20 Standard Operating Procedures 0/7 - Facility Sanitation 0/1 - Workplace Safety 0/1 - Storage 0/1 - Batch and Lot Tracking 0/1 - Security 0/1 - Waste Disposal 0/1 - Records Management 0/1 Product Testing 0/10 - Product Meets Requirements Before Sale 0/5 - COA Disclosure 0/5 Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting and Recall Protocol 0/13 Laboratory Operations 0/50 Independent or Third-Party 0/5 Laboratory Sampling 0/5 Method Validation 0/4 Quality Management Systems 0/5 Staff Training 0/20 Standard Operating Procedures 0/7 - Facility and Equipment Sanitation 0/1 - Equipment and Instrument Calibration 0/1 - Workplace Safety 0/1 - Sample Tracking 0/1 - Security 0/1 - Waste Disposal 0/1 - Records Management 0/1 Result Reporting 0/4
Score Penalties	15/100
Gives Regulatory Preference to Adult Use 0/20 Classifies Cannabis as a Medicine of Last Resort 0/15 Administrative or Supply Problems 0/15 Requires Vertical Integration 0/10 Creates New Criminal Penalties for Patients 0/10 Limits Patients to a Single Retailer 0/10 No System for Adding Qualifying Conditions 10/10 Imposes Bans or Limits on THC 5/5 Imposes Bans or Limits on CBD 0/5
Excerpted from ASA's 2022 State of the States Report.