Wisconsin Capitol tulip garden; cannabis plants removed
MADISON, Wis. - Someone's plans to harvest dozens of cannabis plants grown on the Wisconsin state Capitol grounds have gone up in smoke.
The plants sprouted in a tulip garden outside the Capitol, WMTV-TV reported Thursday.
Tatyana Warrick, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Administration, told The Associated Press in an email Friday that workers had removed the plants.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
University of Wisconsin-Madison botanist Shelby Ellison, who examined the plants for WMTV before they were removed, told the station that they were cannabis plants. But she told The Associated Press on Friday that she couldn't say for certain whether they were marijuana or hemp.
Milwaukee leaders, advocates speak on federal marijuana reform
Today, May 17, Milwaukee elected officials and advocates are holding a press conference to celebrate President Biden’s announcement reclassifying marijuana to a Schedule III drug under federal law.
"It was just a large number of plants for it to be anything accidental," Ellison said.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android
Marijuana remains illegal in all forms in Wisconsin. Assembly Republicans introduced a bill last session that would have legalized marijuana for medical purposes, but they couldn't muster support among their state Senate counterparts and the measure never got a hearing.