Where are Wisconsin Hemp Heroes Now?

In 2020, six legislators were honored with inaugural “Hemp Hero” awards for their exceptional leadership in promoting the hemp industry. These awards recognized efforts such as authoring or co-sponsoring legislation, breaking down bureaucratic barriers, and actively promoting hemp and its farmers. As we step into 2025, it’s essential to revisit these “Hemp Heroes” to assess their current roles and contributions to cannabis and marijuana reform in Wisconsin. No other awards have been giving by the now defunct Wisconsin Hemp Alliance.

Former State Senator Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee)

Former Senator Taylor had been a steadfast advocate for comprehensive cannabis reform. In her tenure in the State Senate, she has consistently introduced and supported legislation aimed at legalizing both medical and recreational marijuana. Taylor emphasizes the need for social equity in cannabis legislation, aiming to address the disproportionate impact of past marijuana laws on communities of color. She was wonderful to work with and often reached across the isle to help Republicans with this issue, most notable at the public hearing held on April 20, 2022.

She previously served 19 years as a Democratic member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 4th State Senate district from 2005 to 2024, and was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly for one term before that. On January 26, 2024, Governor Tony Evers appointed Taylor to fill the Wisconsin circuit court judgeship in Milwaukee County left vacant by the resignation of judge Audrey Skwierawski. Taylor resigned from the state senate later that day, and was sworn in as judge on January 30.

Former State Representative Dave Considine (D-Baraboo)

Formerly representing the 81st Assembly District, Representative Considine had been a vocal supporter of both hemp and broader cannabis reforms. He continued his legislative work, advocating for the legalization of medical marijuana and the decriminalization of small amounts of recreational cannabis. His efforts focus on providing patients with alternative treatments and reducing incarceration rates for non-violent offenses. He served five terms as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Wisconsin’s 81st Assembly district from 2015 to 2025. On January 31, 2024, he announced he would not run for a sixth term in the Assembly and would retire at the end of the 106th Wisconsin Legislature. Considine was often the lead author on the industrial hemp legislation prior to Republicans taking control of the bill.

Congressman Mark Pocan (D-WI 2nd District)

At the federal level, Congressman Pocan has been a progressive voice for cannabis reform. Representing Wisconsin’s 2nd Congressional District, he has co-sponsored several bills. Congressman Pocan continues to push for federal legalization, emphasizing the economic and social justice benefits it could bring to Wisconsin and the nation. As an activist, I would like to see Congressman Pocan become a member of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus and also understand the implications of major changes to the Industrial Hemp Program from the proposed Farm Bill.

State Senator Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point)

Senator Testin, representing Wisconsin’s 24th District since 2017, was instrumental in the state’s initial hemp legislation. Since 2020, he has continued to serve in the State Senate and has risen to the position of Senate President Pro Tempore in 2021. While his early efforts were pivotal for the hemp industry, his stance on broader cannabis legalization has remained cautious.

Testin was one of the first Republicans to co-sponsor a medical marijuana bill in 2019, but since that time he has no signed onto anything. In recent sessions, Senator Testin has expressed support for limited medical marijuana programs but has not endorsed full recreational legalization or decriminalization. He was just re-elected to the Senate in 2024 and will not be up again for election until 2028.

Personally I think if Testin would do the right thing on cannabis reform now and get something passed in 2025, it could set the stage for a gubernatorial run in 2026, should he have those types of statewide aspirations. If he is ok with his Senate seat and leadership positions, he should just do the right thing for his grandfather, Blair Testin. Senator Patrick Testin can be reached at (608) 266-3123.

State Representative Tony Kurtz (R-Wonewoc)

Representative Kurtz, from Wisconsin’s 50th Assembly District, played a significant role in advancing hemp farming legislation. As of 2025, he continues to serve in the State Assembly and has shown measured support for medical cannabis initiatives. First elected in 2018. Organic grain farmer. Former U.S. Army attack helicopter pilot 1985–2005, retired from active duty as a Chief Warrant Officer Four (CW4); Persian Gulf War veteran; Iraq War veteran. He is a hemp farmer, or at least tried one year… he is pretty quit about everything.

October 2018: On the topic of marijuana legalization, Kurtz said he’s against marijuana for recreational use. “A lot of people are intrigued by the dollar signs and the revenue they can get from that,” Kurtz said, adding there were drawbacks to legalization as well. 

Oct 2018 He noted he would be open to medicinal use of marijuana if hemp proved ineffective.

During 2019, the Assembly Republicans prefiled a bill for the 2020 legislative session to create a medical marijuana program in Wisconsin (Assembly Bill 750) which he failed to co-sponsor and was not on board with any 2021-22 Republican efforts to decriminalize or allow medical marijuana.

During the 2023-24 legislation session, the Republicans authored their version of medical marijuana which drew large criticism from almost everyone. Kurtz was a co-sponsor of this controversial medical marijuana bill. During the 2024 press coverage of the GOP bill, Kurtz said he was confident those conditions are enough to garner bipartisan backing, which he was wrong. The bill failed to eve garner enough support from the Republican Senate and no companion bill in the Senate was even submitted.

However, he remains opposed to the legalization of recreational marijuana, citing concerns about public health and safety. Rep. Kurtz sits on the very powerful Joint Finance Committee (JFC) which is currently reviewing Gov. Evers 2025-27 Budget Proposals that include cannabis regulation, legalization and taxation.

You can reach Rep. Kurtz at the Madison office directly (608) 237-9141, his staff Jason and Danielle will gatekeep the call.

Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-WI 6th District)

Congressman Grothman, representing the 6th District, supported hemp legalization but has been less enthusiastic about broader cannabis reforms. After backing out of and breaking his term limit pledge in 2024, he remains in office and has not significantly shifted his position, often expressing concerns about the societal impacts of marijuana legalization.

Will we ever get rid of Grothman? He made the pledge not to serve more than five terms during the Republican primary in 2014. Grothman said he doesn’t know what the maximum number of terms he would serve now is.

There are plenty of reasons to call Congressman Grothman, but if you want to laser focus on the federal farm bill and some of the hemp provisions, review the action alert blog article entitled The Farm Bill should protect, not hurt hemp farmers I wrote in the summer of 2024. Grothman’s DC office phone number is (202) 225-2476 and his Fond Du Lac Office is 525 N Peters Ave Suite 700
Fond du Lac, WI 54937 Phone: (920) 907-0624.

Conclusions

In summary, while the 2020 “Hemp Heroes” laid the groundwork for Wisconsin’s hemp industry, their positions on broader cannabis reforms vary and now that the hemp has grown into something more than seed and fiber, would the Republicans be considered a hemp hero by todays standards. Democratic legislators have generally pushed for more expansive legalization efforts, whereas their Republican counterparts have approached the issue with caution, focusing primarily on limited medical use. As Wisconsin continues to grapple with cannabis policy, the contributions and evolving stances of these legislators will undoubtedly influence the state’s trajectory in this arena.

Do you like what I write? Do you want to continue to help my activism and content production? I know I have not met every cannabis activist in Wisconsin yet, but the people I have met along the way have been amazing! Hopefully my work will inspire more activists to join our fight.

We may not be in the same city, but we can still sit in a circle together and pass a virtual joint, raise our cannabis drink to our collective hard work, or even do some fire dabs into the night as we celebrate in continued growth of the hemp cannabis industry in Wisconsin.

There is a long road ahead of us in Wisconsin. The 2025-26 legislation session is set to get under way in January with a bang. I look forward to a new year and new energy as we come together for local, regional and state wide events.

Until then, if you ran into me in a cannabis lounge would you buy me a joint, cannabis drink or send me home with some dabs? Well, now you can do so here, on this page.