Up in smoke: Workers remove dozens of apparent marijuana plants from Wisconsin Capitol tulip garden

Advertisement

Advertise with us

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Someone's plans to harvest dozens of apparent marijuana plants grown on the Wisconsin state Capitol grounds have gone up in smoke.

Read this article for free:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!

As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.

Now, more than ever, we need your support.

Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.

Subscribe Now

or call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.

Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!

To continue reading, please subscribe:

Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional

$1 for the first 4 weeks*

  • Enjoy unlimited reading on brandonsun.com
  • Read the Brandon Sun E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
Start now

No thanks

*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.00 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.00 plus GST every four weeks.

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/05/2024 (568 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Someone’s plans to harvest dozens of apparent marijuana 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, but that her agency couldn’t determine if they were marijuana or hemp. Both are forms of cannabis, but only marijuana has the compound that gets people high.

In this image provided by Shelby Ellison, tulips bloom in a flower bed in front to the Wisconsin Capitol, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Madison, Wis. Workers have removed what appeared to be marijuana plants from a tulip garden on the Wisconsin Capitol grounds. State Department of Administration spokesperson Tatyana Warrick said in an email to The Associated Press on Friday, May 17, 2024, that workers have removed the plants, but that her agency lacks the expertise to determine if they were marijuana. (Shelby Ellison via AP)
In this image provided by Shelby Ellison, tulips bloom in a flower bed in front to the Wisconsin Capitol, Thursday, May 16, 2024, in Madison, Wis. Workers have removed what appeared to be marijuana plants from a tulip garden on the Wisconsin Capitol grounds. State Department of Administration spokesperson Tatyana Warrick said in an email to The Associated Press on Friday, May 17, 2024, that workers have removed the plants, but that her agency lacks the expertise to determine if they were marijuana. (Shelby Ellison via AP)

Warrick didn’t respond to questions about how the plants might have made it into the garden.

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.

She said there were dozens of the plants in the garden, suggesting someone planted them intentionally.

“It was just a large number of plants for it to be anything accidental,” Ellison said.

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.

Report Error Submit a Tip

World

LOAD MORE