Billboard along I-94 calls out two state senators for their stance on medical marijuana



MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- It's a message high above I-94, and it's calling out two state senators for their stance on medical marijuana.

The billboard is placed in a high-profile location -- seen by thousands of motorists every day. One group hopes to spark change by drawing attention to a controversial topic.

The billboard first went up on I-94 on Tuesday, September 30th -- and it will burn bright until November 9th. A group called "The League of Marijuana Voters" solicited about $7,000 in donations to put the billboard up.

"I feel very strongly that people should have access to the medicine that helps them," Eric Marsch with The League of Marijuana Voters said.

Marsch is the group's co-founder. Marsch says it's his mission to "call out" two state senators -- quite literally! The billboard features their office telephone numbers with their silhouettes in the background.

"We want people to contact (Leah) Vukmir and (Mary) Lazich tell them to support medical marijuana," Marsch said.

FOX6 News reached out to Lazich's office multiple times, but our messages were not returned.

Vukmir's office offered "no comment."

Both lawmakers have voiced strong opinions on the topic in the past.

"We want to target Leah Vukmir in particular.  She is the chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.  That`s the committee the Jacki Rickert Medical Cannabis Act has to go through before it gets a full vote.  And she has refused to even let it come up for a vote in her committee," Marsch said.

Lazich is also a member of that committee.

Voter opinions of marijuana in general have changed slightly, but the majority still oppose it. In March, Marquette University Law School asked the question as part of their polling. Support increased slightly in September.

"When you put it up against the other priorities in Wisconsin, I don`t think that`s going to take a lot of time on our agenda," Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) said.

Senator Darling says she doesn't think the issue will impact the upcoming legislative session, but marijuana advocates say they'll continue pressing for change.

"That`s our intention with this billboard -- to hopefully influence the elections," Marsch said.

Marsch says he'd eventually like to see marijuana completely legalized. He says his group is actively trying to raise funds for another billboard targeting Governor Scott Walker. They hope to have that one up before the November election.