ST. PAUL, Minn. (KFGO) – Minnesota has officially become the 23rd state to legalize recreational cannabis use. Gov. Tim Walz signed the 300-page bill into law Tuesday. The bill allows people 21 and older to use marijuana, expunges low-level cannabis convictions, and creates a regulatory framework for cultivation, manufacture, and sales by state-licensed businesses.
Under the new law, it will be legal by August 1 to possess, use and grow marijuana at home. Possession will be limited to two pounds at home and two ounces in public. Stricter caps will be placed on cannabis products with concentrated THC.
“It’s going take us a bit of time to get this up and going we’ll be getting some people into the positions to be able to run this,” Walz said. “But I assure Minnesotans that a lot of thought has gone into this. A lot of the things learned in other states are incorporated into how we do this and the thoughtfulness around this legislation gives us a really good guiding principle.”
One of the bill’s co-authors, Rep. Zack Stephenson, DFL-Coon Rapids, said he anticipates it will be 12-18 months before marijuana products will be available for purchase in stores. Once licensed, stores will charge sales tax plus a 10% cannabis tax.
Under the new law, non-felony cannabis offenses will be automatically expunged and a board will be established to review more serious cannabis-involved crimes. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension on Aug. 1 will start the process of automatically clearing records, but warned it will take until August of next year to process all the cases.
Walz has long been a supporter of legalizing recreational marijuana for adults. In 2021, the Democratic-controlled House passed a legalization bill with several Republicans voting yes, but the GOP-controlled Senate never gave it a vote. Democrats took full control of state government when the Legislature convened for its 2023 session, marking the first time in eight years they have held the “trifecta” of the Senate, House and governor’s office.
Last year, the Legislature passed a bill legalizing THC in edible or drinkable form if it’s derived from hemp. Many lawmakers apparently didn’t realize what they were doing as it sailed through under the radar. Low-strength gummies and beverages have been on sale since July.
Former Gov. Jesse Ventura, who supported legalization when he served from 1999-2003, attended the signing ceremony. Walz said in November that Ventura would be invited because Ventura was one of the first governors in the country to support legalization. Ventura, an independent who doesn’t usually make endorsements, backed Walz over Republican Scott Jensen, and said legalization was one of the many reasons why.
“I was a spark that brought a thought to the table,” he said. “And it took many years of diligent work by legislators, governors – Gov. Walz especially – to reach this point today.”
Ventura said education has shifted the conversation around marijuana legalization, particularly in Minnesota.
“The people of Minnesota have been educated now and they understand that cannabis – all drugs and all forms of things have an upside and a downside to them – but cannabis’ upside is so much, much more and good than any downside,” he said.
Marijuana is still classified as a Schedule I drug and is not legal at the federal level.
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