Wisconsin continues to stand out among Midwest states as one of few that haven’t legalized medicinal and recreational marijuana, and fingers have long pointed to the Tavern League of Wisconsin as the main adversary to legalization.

But according to public lobbying records — which organizations attempting to influence policy must report with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission — the trade association has never lobbied for or against it, nor does it take a stance on the issue, according to the Tavern League’s government affairs spokesperson Scott Stenger. 

“We will not weigh in on that issue, it’s just not something our members care about,” Stenger said.

Stenger said the Tavern League takes the lobbying reporting laws very seriously. Despite countering the claims that the league opposes marijuana legalization, he said he still receives calls from people who are “belligerent” over the issue.

“It would seem to me that there’d be more reasons for us to support than oppose, but we never have,” Stenger said. “This idea that if you legalize marijuana, people aren’t going to go to taverns — marijuana is legal in a lot of states, and the on-premise industry hasn’t declined. So there’s no correlation whatsoever.”

Then why do so many believe the Tavern League is against marijuana?

Studies on whether the legalization of cannabis products leads to a decrease in alcohol sales have shown mixed results. Data from a study in Canada showed that cannabis legalization was associated with a decline in beer sales, though not spirits sales, implying marijuana is being used as a substitute for beer.

But a study of Washington, Colorado and Oregon — three U.S. states where recreational cannabis has been legal the longest — found no evidence that legalization has impacted total alcohol sales. 

So who actually is lobbying against marijuana legalization in Wisconsin? 

Since 2003, three interest groups have lobbied directly against bills that would have legalized medicinal and/or recreational marijuana: Wisconsin Family Action, Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association and Wisconsin Medical Society. 

The Medical Society has lobbied against legalizing medicinal use for years. The last time the group lobbied directly on a medical marijuana bill in the Legislature was in 2022. The association still opposes medicinal legalization, according to its chief policy and advocacy officer Mark Grapentine. 

“Medicines” are substances approved by the FDA after rigorous testing to make sure any drug is effective and safe, Grapentine told Wisconsin Watch. 

“We do not support so-called ‘medical’ marijuana schemes because they are designed to sound like marijuana research has gone through that kind of trusted process, but it has not,” he said. 

The Medical Society does support moving marijuana to a place in the Controlled Substances Act that allows for more widespread study and clinical research for the development of cannabis medicines.

“I think it’s one of those perpetual issues — it’s always either ‘medical’ marijuana of some kind or full-blown legalization,” Grapentine said in an email when asked about the future of marijuana bills in the Legislature.

In 2022, 2017 and 2015, the Chiefs of Police Association lobbied against both recreational and medicinal marijuana legislation. The association declined to comment for this story.

Wisconsin Family Action lobbied against one of the most recent marijuana bills in the Legislature in 2023. The bill, introduced by state Sen. Melissa Agard, would have legalized both recreational and medicinal cannabis. It died in the state Senate. 

Wisconsin Family Action did not respond to Wisconsin Watch’s repeated requests for comment. In 2022, the group released a statement saying “Christians should oppose” Gov. Tony Evers and included his support for recreational marijuana legalization as one of the reasons.

In 2010 and 2019, the Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs Association lobbied against bipartisan bills that would have established a medical necessity defense to marijuana-related prosecutions. When asked what the group’s current stance on marijuana is, business manager Sandy Schueller said “we aren’t taking a formal position until we see the official legislation during the next session of the Legislature.”

In 2019, the Badger State Sheriffs’ Association also lobbied against bipartisan legislation that would have established a medical use defense, as well as a medical cannabis registry. The association president, Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt, told Wisconsin Watch the group remains opposed to both medical and recreational marijuana.

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Does the Tavern League of Wisconsin lobby against recreational marijuana? is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.