Minnesota is the 23rd state to legalize recreational cannabis

On Tuesday, Gov. Tim Walz signed the cannabis legalization act into law, officially making Minnesota the 23rd state in the country to legalize recreational cannabis.

At Tuesday’s signing ceremony, Walz admitted the ban “isn’t working,” adding that he and his colleagues want to start the disqualification process for qualified Minnesotans. Walz also pointed out that adults should be able to make their own choices “within those kinds of choices.”

“We’ve known for too long that banning cannabis use hasn’t worked. By legalizing adult-use cannabis, we are expanding our economy, creating jobs and regulating the industry to keep Minnesotans safe,” said Walz. “Legalizing cannabis for adults and having cannabis convictions overturned or reconsidered will empower communities. This is the right move for Minnesota.”

The 300-page bill will allow adults in the state over the age of 21 to use recreational cannabis and aims to transform the current illicit market into regulated, state-licensed businesses statewide. In particular, it creates a new regulatory framework for licensing cannabis companies to grow, manufacture and sell cannabis in retail pharmacies. There are a total of 12 different commercial licenses that an individual can apply for in the recreational market, along with additional licenses for medicinal cannabis.

The law also provides for the overturning of small-scale cannabis convictions. The new law will automatically eliminate non-criminal cannabis offenses and create a panel to review more serious cannabis offences. The process of automatically deleting records by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is scheduled to begin August 1, according to the law.

Drafted with social justice in mind, the bill grants social justice status to military veterans or active military personnel who have been denied honorary status for a cannabis-related crime, farmers from underrepresented communities, and residents of areas with “disproportionately high rates of cannabis violations.” ”

A Cannabis Management Office will also be established, which will oversee the regulation and sale of cannabis products in Minnesota.

In addition, the bill legalizes possession of up to two pounds of cannabis in a private home and limits home cultivation by adults over the age of 21. In public, Minnesota adults are allowed to have up to two ounces. The legislation allows adults to grow up to eight cannabis plants at home, including four mature flowering plants.

Beginning August 1, possession will be officially legal for adults 21 and older in the state.

“Even though Minnesota may be the 23rd state to legalize cannabis, I think we passed the best bill in the country that Minnesotans can be really proud of,” said co-author of the bill, Rep. Zack Stephenson, of DFL-Coon Rapids, opposite WCCO.

Stephenson also said he expects it to be 12 to 18 months before residents and visitors can go to a store and purchase recreational cannabis products. Specifically, he noted that “we’re going to put some people in a position to lead this,” and assured Minnesota residents that lawmakers put “a lot of thought” into the bill and the way forward.

All eyes were on Minnesota as legislation moved ahead earlier this year. More than two dozen legislative committees reviewed the legislation, with the Minnesota House and Senate approving separate bills legalizing cannabis in late April. A conference committee compared the differences between the bills, followed by the House of Representatives’ approval of the consensus bill on May 18. It was finally passed by the Senate on May 20 and sent to Walz’s desk, where it was expected he would enact it.

The newly passed law is also in line with the public opinion of most Minnesota residents. A recent poll by KSTP-TV and SurveyUSA found that 64% of registered voters supported legalizing cannabis for adults. Minnesota legalized medicinal cannabis in 2014.