The largest city in the state of Wisconsin, Milwaukee has tons to do for the perfect weekend getaway. Located right off the western shore of Lake Michigan, Milwaukee is best known for breweries and their role in the American beer industry. It was once home to four of the world’s largest beer companies (Miller, Schlitz, Blatz and Pabst), but now only Miller currently keeps production in this city. In addition to larger brewing companies, microbreweries are found all around town to appreciate its past. Head over to Burnhearts and taste why Draft Magazine named them one of the “100 Best Beer Bars.” Of course, like many cities, Milwaukee has tons of museums to explore. If you love art, the Milwaukee Art Museum contains nearly 25,000 pieces and is one of the largest art museums in the world. On the Menomonee River, you will find the Harley Davidson Museum the first museum of its kind, which displays classic motorcycles — even Elvis Presley’s! Take in the view of Lake Michigan and downtown Milwaukee at the RiverWalk District, or if you’re looking for more action, head over to Lakeshore State Park for hiking, biking, fishing and more outdoor fun. 

Even though compared to the rest of the United States, Wisconsin is one of the few holdouts when it comes to legalizing cannabis, before prohibition the state was actually the largest producer of hemp in the entire country. Since 1939, cannabis laws have changed very little around the state. It wasn’t until 1977 when the city of Madison decriminalized possession of up to 25 grams of cannabis products to a fine when the first steps of reform were made in the state. Later in 1997, Milwaukee is the first city in the state to follow Madison’s footsteps in decriminalizing. The next step Wisconsin takes to legalize cannabis products isn’t until 2017 when Governor Scott Walker signed a law legalizing the cultivation of hemp products under 0.3% THC. Of course, since 2017 other Wisconsin municipalities have taken steps to decriminalize cannabis. As recently as 2019, Wisconsin lawmakers have announced that the state would be taking steps toward legalizing both recreational and medical cannabis products, but those have been unsuccessful so far. Hopefully, as marijuana becomes more widely accepted, Wisconsin will hop on the legalization bandwagon that other midwestern states have already created.

Milwaukee Resources:

• https://milwaukeerecord.com/city-life/whats-the-deal-with-milwaukees-marijuana-laws/
• https://norml.org/laws/wisconsin-penalties-2/