Raegen Arnold, 13, of Pleasant Prairie, was among the children who circled Gov. Scott Walker Monday to witness him sign legislation into law to add cannabidiol oil to the list of options available to treat medical conditions.

For Raegen, who has battled with epilepsy since she was 2 years old, CBD oil could help calm the seizures for which she is taking three prescription medications.

State Sens. Bob Wirch, D-Somers, and Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, were among the legislators who introduced Senate Bill 10, a trailer to "Lydia's Law," named in honor of the late Lydia Schaeffer of Burlington, who suffered from seizures due to Kleefstra syndrome. Lydia's mother Sally Schaeffer led the charge to lobby for its passage. 

Lawmakers in about two dozen states have proposed bills this year to ease their marijuana laws despite Attorney General Jeff Sessions' warning that he could crack down on pot, a major change from the Obama administration, which essentially turned a blind eye to the state legislation.

Bills have been introduced in 17 states this year to make recreational pot legal for adults, while five others are considering voter referendums on the issue. Sixteen states have introduced medical marijuana legislation, 10 are considering decriminalizing the drug and three are considering easing their penalties. An effort in Wyoming to decriminalize the drug failed this session.

Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the medical cannabis patient advocacy group, recently released its annual report assigning letter grades to states based on the proficiency of their medical cannabis programs. The good news: 39 states improved their medical cannabis laws last year. The bad news: Six states have yet to legalize any form of medical cannabis, including CBD products, and many others still struggle with restrictive laws, limited access or daunting prices.

• Marijuana is easier to access than ever, with more than 20% of Americans living in a state that has voted to legalize recreational use — and a majority living in states that have legalized medical use.
• But when you talk to researchers who study cannabis, they say there's still a lot we don't know about marijuana.
• There are a few big studies happening right now that should for the first time offer some answers to essential questions.

In many ways, it's the age of access to pot.

As of last November, more than 20% of Americans live in states that have voted to legalize recreational marijuana use. A majority live in states that allow access to medical marijuana.

A bill to ensure anguished parents can get a child seizure treatment is finally moving forward in the Wisconsin Legislature.

Senators couldn't agree in the last legislative session on the proposal, which would have made it easier to get a drug that is derived from marijuana and used to treat children who suffer from severe seizures and have few other medical options.

The state took steps to provide very limited access to the drug three years ago but legal restrictions around it still dog families.

Most state legislatures reconvene in early January, and by February they’re in full swing, moving some bills forward and killing others in committee. This year 27 state legislatures are considering bills pertaining to cannabis in some form. (Well, okay: 26. Mississippi had two medical marijuana bills, but they’re already dead.) Some states are pushing full adult-use legalization. Others are pulling back on medical legalization measures adopted by voters last November. We’ll keep tracking them as they live and die. Most state legislatures adjourn by early June. Stay tuned.

The state Senate has overwhelmingly approved a bill that would make it legal to use a marijuana extract to treat seizures.

The measure legalizes possession of cannabidiol oil with a doctor's certification. The chamber adopted the bill on a 31-1 vote Wednesday. Republican Sen. Duey Stroebel was the only senator to vote against it.

Parents of children who suffer from seizures say cannabidiol oil, which doesn't produce a high, can ease symptoms.

Democratic Sen. Chris Larson argued the bill doesn't go far enough, pointing out that importing the oil into Wisconsin would remain illegal. He tried to amend the bill to allow production of the oil in the state but Republicans refused to revise the measure.

The bill goes next to the Assembly.

A pair of Democratic lawmakers hopes to move Wisconsin closer to legalizing medical marijuana with the introduction on Monday of two pieces of legislation. 

The first bill would legalize the use of medical marijuana for patients with qualifying conditions. The second would put the question to voters in the form of a nonbinding statewide referendum.

It is the hope of the bill's co-sponsors, Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton, and Rep. Chris Taylor, D-Madison, that lawmakers who aren't inclined to support legalizing medicinal use of the drug might be supportive of having voters weigh in through a nonbinding referendum.

Neither proposal is likely to gain traction in the Republican-led Legislature, and Gov. Scott Walker does not support legalizing medical marijuana.