In 2018 the City of Superior decriminalized small amounts of marijuana and the City of Ashland approved measures about declaring a resolution to support both medical and recreational cannabis. Rep. Milroy has served a dozen years in the Assembly and has sponsored medical marijuana legislation and legalization in the past.
- Born Duluth, Minnesota, April 15, 1974; married; 3 children.
- Graduate Superior Senior High School, 1992; B.S., University of Wisconsin–Superior, 1998; attended University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, 1999–2000.
- Full-time legislator. Former fisheries biologist;. Served in U.S. Navy, 1992–94, U.S. Naval Reserve, 1994–2000; deployed to Persian Gulf during Operation Southern Watch.
- Member: Executive Board of the Great Lakes Legislative Caucus of the Council of State Governments; Wisconsin Chapter of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (co-chair); National Conference of Environmental Legislators; Douglas County Democratic Party (former secretary).
- Former member: Lake Superior Binational Forum; St. Louis River Watershed TMDL Partnership (board of directors); American Fisheries Society; Duluth-Superior Metropolitan Interstate Council (policy board member); Head of the Lakes Fair (board of directors).
- Superior City Council, 2005–09.
- Elected to Assembly since 2008.
Do you believe marijuana should be legalized for recreational use in Wisconsin?
Rep. Milroy: I remain undecided on full legalization. I fully support medical marijuana as it has been proven to be instrumental in alleviating the pain of many diseases and increasing the appetite. I also support decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana. The cost to taxpayers is too high for the incarceration of people that are put away for having small amounts of marijuana. As for full legalization of recreational marijuana, I would want to hear from the public and do a lot of research to get a better understanding of the issue.
If marijuana was legalized for recreation use, how do you see that impacting the Criminal Justice System?
Rep. Milroy: It is predicted that Wisconsin will have a record number of inmates in 2019, and at least one state legislator has said Wisconsin is in need of a new prison. Decriminalizing marijuana would certainly alleviate this problem. It would also lower the caseloads for our district attorneys who are already short-staffed statewide.
Do you believe that marijuana is a gateway drug to heroin, meth, or other drugs?
Rep. Milroy: This is a tough question. I don’t believe marijuana is addicting like Heroine or Meth. However, if an individual uses marijuana, they might believe they are not susceptible to addiction of drugs. It’s all about education, education, education.
If marijuana was legalized, what impact do you see it having on Wisconsin’s Economy?
Rep. Milroy: It could be a great revenue enhancer. Taxing and regulating marijuana may be better public policy than chasing marijuana dealers and recreational users. I should add that I believe Wisconsin is behind the times in not allowing our farmers to produce hemp.
Is the legalization of marijuana a partisan issue?
Rep. Milroy: It shouldn’t be.
If marijuana was legalized for recreation use, how do you see that impacting the Criminal Justice System?
Rep. Milroy: It is predicted that Wisconsin will have a record number of inmates in 2019, and at least one state legislator has said Wisconsin is in need of a new prison. Decriminalizing marijuana would certainly alleviate this problem. It would also lower the caseloads for our district attorneys who are already short-staffed statewide.