Senate District 9: One of Wisconsin's Most Important Cannabis Elections You've Probably Never Heard Of

Every election cycle there are a handful of legislative races that have the potential to shape public policy for years to come. Senate District 9 is one of them.

As someone who has spent more than 15 years working with grassroots cannabis activists across Wisconsin, I’ve learned one simple lesson:

If we ignore legislative races, we lose legislative battles.

Everyone gets excited about the Governor’s race. Those contests matter.

But cannabis reform doesn’t begin in the Governor’s Office.

It begins in the Wisconsin Legislature.

The Assembly and Senate decide which bills receive hearings, which proposals move forward, and which ideas never leave a committee drawer.

That’s why WISCOCAN has dramatically expanded our 2026 election coverage.

We’re not just watching the statewide races—we’re following the districts where activists can actually influence the outcome.

Senate District 9 is one of those districts.

Why This Race Matters

The Wisconsin Senate remains one of the biggest obstacles to meaningful cannabis reform.

Whether you’re concerned about:

Saving Wisconsin’s hemp industry
Medical cannabis
Adult-use legalization
Decriminalization
Sensible regulation
Protecting farmers and small businesses

…every one of those issues eventually comes before the State Senate.

That means every Senate seat matters.

Even races that don’t make statewide headlines.

Campaign Season Is When Candidates Listen

One thing I’ve learned after years of meeting with legislators is this:

Campaign season is often when candidates are most willing to have conversations.

They’re knocking on doors.

Attending community events.

Looking for volunteers.

Answering questionnaires.

Meeting voters face-to-face.

Once elected, lawmakers have hundreds of competing issues demanding their attention.

Right now, they have time to hear directly from constituents.

If cannabis reform matters to you, don’t wait until January.

Start the conversation today.

Don’t Just Watch the Election—Participate In It

One of the biggest mistakes activists make is treating elections like spectators.

We watch debates.

We read Facebook comments.

We complain about politicians.

Then Election Day comes and goes.

Grassroots activism works differently.

Real influence comes from participating.

Attend a campaign event.

Ask respectful questions.

Introduce yourself.

Volunteer for a few hours.

Send an email.

Make a phone call.

Share educational resources.

Those small conversations happen thousands of times across Wisconsin every election cycle, and they absolutely shape how candidates understand issues.

We’ve Done Much of the Homework

One reason The Wisconsin Cannabis Activist Network (WISCOCAN) and the Wisconsin Cannabinoid Industry Council (WCIC) launched our 2026 Election Coverage Forum was to make activism easier.

Instead of spending hours searching for campaign websites, contact information, social media pages, questionnaires, and district information, we’ve organized it in one place.

For every major legislative race we cover, we’re working to provide:

Candidate contact information
Campaign websites
Social media links
Candidate questionnaires
District information
Community discussion
Opportunities for activists to report back after contacting campaigns

The goal isn’t simply to inform.

The goal is to help people take action.

Our Candidate Resources page also gives campaigns and voters educational materials covering hemp policy, cannabis reform, economic impacts, public safety, and current legislative proposals so conversations can be based on facts instead of myths.

Every Conversation Matters

I’ve said this many times over the years.

Politicians regularly tell us they remember the conversations they have while campaigning.

Sometimes they remember a single thoughtful constituent.

Sometimes they remember seeing the same issue raised over and over by different voters.

Sometimes they realize an issue is much larger than they originally believed.

That doesn’t happen because people argue on Facebook.

It happens because citizens show up.

Respectfully.

Prepared.

Willing to educate instead of attack.

Follow Along With Senate District 9

If you live in Senate District 9—or know someone who does—now is the time to get involved.

Read the candidate information.

Reach out to the campaigns.

Ask where they stand on protecting Wisconsin’s hemp industry and advancing sensible cannabis reform.

Then report back to the community.

The more information we gather together, the stronger Wisconsin’s cannabis movement becomes.

This election isn’t just about who wins a seat.

It’s about building relationships today that can help shape cannabis policy during the 2027 legislative session and beyond.

Grassroots activism has always been about ordinary citizens doing extraordinary things together.

Let’s keep building those relationships—one district at a time.

Where is Senate District 9?

The 9th Senate district of Wisconsin is one of 33 districts in the Wisconsin Senate.[1] Located in eastern Wisconsin, the district comprises most of Sheboygan County and the parts of eastern and southern Manitowoc County and northeast Fond du Lac County. It contains the cities of Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Two Rivers, Plymouth, Kiel, and Sheboygan Falls, and the villages of Kohler, Oostburg, and Elkhart Lake. The district also contains Sheboygan County Memorial Airport, Whistling Straits golf course, Road America motorsport course, Kohler-Andrae State Park, Lakeland University, and the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, Sheboygan Campus.