Minnesota will turn into the 23rd state to sanction weed for grown-up sporting use, while naturally erasing offenses from great many Minnesotans’ records.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The office of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced on Tuesday that he would sign a landmark bill that makes Minnesota the 23rd state in the United States to legalize cannabis for adult recreational use and automatically expunges tens of thousands of Minnesotans’ records of low-level cannabis offenses.
The governor, according to Walz’s office, will sign the bill at noon.
Just after 1 a.m. on May 20, the Senate approved the final version of the legislature’s Legal Adult-Use Cannabis bill by a vote of 34 to 32. The following day, the DFL-controlled House approved the bill by a vote of 73 to 57 in another late-night session. The bill was passed by state senators on a straight party-line vote, with five Republicans supporting it and one Democrat voting against it.
“It is time for us to change course, create a system that works for adult-use cannabis, and create a regulated market for Minnesota,” stated Senator Lindsey Port (DFL-Burnsville), chief author of the legislation, after the bill passed both legislative chambers. “The prohibition on cannabis has had tremendously negative impacts on the lives of Minnesotans, especially our communities of color.”
However, not everyone in the debate was pleased with the bill’s passage. Throughout the process, Republican legislators voiced their concerns regarding the potential effects of legal cannabis on traffic safety, crime, addiction, and other mental health issues.
The lead Republican on the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, Republican Sen. Warren Limmer, of Maple Grove, stated, “We’re opening a door that is going to be very difficult to close, and it’s going to be very difficult to put the genie back on the bottle once this occurs.”
After several rounds of debate and revision, the bill’s final version allows adults over 21 to possess and transport up to 2 ounces of cannabis flower; 800 milligrams of edible products and 8 grams of concentrate.
Adults are also allowed to keep up to two pounds of cannabis flower in their homes, according to the law.
In addition, a new Office of Cannabis Management will be established to assist in the regulation of the cannabis industry in Minnesota by issuing licenses and developing regulations for participating businesses.
The majority of the legislation, such as the end of the prohibition on cannabis and automatic expungement, will enter into force on August 1 if Walz signs it. However, some parts, including the Office of Cannabis Management, a Cannabis Advisory Board, and an Expungement Board, will go into effect on July 1.
Cannabis products will be subject to a 10% sales tax in addition to the state’s existing sales taxes when they are sold in stores in Minnesota starting in the summer of 2024.
Local governments will be tasked with controlling the location of businesses that are permitted to carry cannabis when it does arrive on the market the following year. Local officials, according to the state, will be able to prevent retailers from opening near parks or schools with greater ease.
The city of Mankato voted last week to prohibit the sale of cannabis, which may remain in effect until January 1, 2025. The City Committee said it needs to have additional opportunity to concentrate on the issue and specialty nearby guidelines intended for Mankato. Nonetheless, the new regulation won’t permit urban areas to boycott weed forever.
While Minnesotans should stand by a couple of additional prior months they’re ready to appreciate lawful maryjane casually, the state says its Clinical Weed Program will proceed, with plans to move its workplaces from the Minnesota Division of Wellbeing to the Workplace of Marijuana The board starting Walk 1, 2025.
Source – Kare11
