Minnesota House Approves Cannabis Legalization Bill
The Minnesota House of Representatives passed a bill that would legalize medical marijuana in the state, making Minnesota the first state to do so. The bill, introduced by Rep. Carly Melin, would make medical marijuana available to anyone with a recommendation from a health care provider. The bill passed with a vote of 74 to 60 in the House.
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For Minnesota pot smokers, there is good news and bad news. Let’s start with the good news: The House of Representatives has voted to legalize recreational cannabis for adults. House File 600 passed by a bipartisan vote of 72-61. This follows approval by twelve separate legislative committees. The bill would allow anyone 21 or older in Minnesota to legally possess up to 2 ounces of cannabis in public places. Individuals are also allowed to keep 10 pounds of marijuana and up to 8 plants (of which only 4 can be matured at a time) in their private residence. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz recently called for the legalization of marijuana, arguing that it could boost the economy and lead to greater racial justice. He talked about it in his budget speech in January, but he has been a big supporter of this idea for years. I still want lawmakers to consider recreational cannabis, not only (because of) the revenue streams that outweigh sports betting, but also because of the issues of fairness and, to be fair, the racial impact of our cannabis laws, Governor Walz said in his budget speech.
Social justice policy
In fact, the bill has plans for racial justice. It provides a procedure for deleting the criminal records of those convicted of marijuana offenses, which are then no longer considered felonies. He also has a social justice plan to compete with the cannabis industry. The Office of Social Equity will promote the development, stability and security of communities disproportionately affected by cannabis prohibition. The bill states, Management should at least do this: (1) Provide grants to communities disproportionately affected by cannabis prohibition to promote economic development, provide violence prevention services, support youth and family early intervention programs, and promote community stability and security; (2) act as an ombudsman for the board to provide information, investigate complaints arising under this chapter, and provide or facilitate dispute resolution; and (3) Report to the Board on the status of subsidies, grievances and social justice in the cannabis industry. This social equality agency will be affiliated with the Cannabis Stewardship Council. The agency will oversee regulatory and taxation matters and take over the state’s existing medical cannabis program. Regulatory oversight includes product testing and setting work standards for field workers. Excess tax revenue from the sale of adult-use cannabis is deposited into a tax relief account. The remaining tax revenue will be used for grant and loan programs. The bill was introduced by House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler. He says that although blacks and whites in Minnesota use about the same amount of cannabis and although black Minnesotans make up only 5 percent of the state’s population, they account for 30 percent of cannabis-related arrests. The failure to criminalize cannabis has led to a legacy of racial injustice that can no longer go unresolved, Winkler said. Adults deserve the freedom to decide whether to use cannabis, and the government has an important role to play in addressing legal issues related to youth access, public health, and road safety. Veterans and Minnesotans with serious illnesses such as PTSD deserve better access to our medical program, which is not working well for most people. It’s time to legalize, exclude and regulate.
Stonewall Senate
Now for the bad news for the proponents of the measure: It’s unlikely to pass the Senate. The Minnesota House of Representatives is controlled by Democrats this year; the upper chamber is controlled by the GOP. Even the victory in the House of Representatives came after more than five hours of debate and was supported by only six Republicans. This could be a big disappointment to the 51% of registered voters in Minnesota who believe recreational cannabis should be legal. That figure is the average of 59% of Democrats who favor legalization, 50% of independents and voters of other parties, and 42% of Republican voters. According to a poll conducted last year, 37 percent of Minnesotans still oppose drug legalization, with the remaining 12 percent unsure. These figures are much more favourable than a few years ago. A 2014 poll from the same group found that only 30 percent of Minnesotans support legalization. Some psychiatrists in Minnesota are pushing for legalization of the drug for recreational use, but the allowable age for use should be raised to 25, not 21. They fear that the brain is still developing at age 21 and could be affected by marijuana use, although recent studies show that THC has no long-term negative effects on the brain. Rep. Winkler is opposed to amending the bill to include only people over 25. He argues that tobacco and alcohol are available from the age of 21 and pose a much greater health risk than cannabis.
Marijuana laws in Minnesota
There is also news for the medical cannabis market: State lawmakers now allow people with a medical marijuana card to buy marijuana flowers, also known as buds. Currently, only two companies are licensed to distribute medical marijuana in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, and each is only allowed to sell cannabis in liquid or tablet form. Production of these strains is relatively expensive and as a result, Minnesota’s medical marijuana program is one of the most expensive of any region in the United States. Cannabis is currently legal in Minnesota for medical use, but remains virtually illegal for recreational purposes. Simple possession of 42.5 grams (1.5 ounces) of cannabis is decriminalised; you cannot go to prison for this, but you can be fined up to $200 and the offence will be entered on your criminal record. You may also have to take a drug education course. But you can get parole on your first round in prison. But if you exceed this decriminalized amount, you could find yourself in a world of trouble. Possession of 42.5 grams to 10 kilograms is a felony punishable by 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. From 10 to 50 pounds, that means 20 years in prison and a fine of a quarter of a million dollars. That runs to 25 years and half a million dollars per 100 pounds. If you’re caught with more than 100 pounds of marijuana, you could spend up to three decades in jail and face a $1 million fine. Selling is of course another matter. If you get paid to sell a product, it’s automatically a crime. Sales to minors and in the school zone are punished very severely. The only exception to these rules is if you were caught with less than 1.5 ounces and didn’t get paid for the product – even if the police think you wanted to sell it. This is an offense punishable by a $200 fine, but no jail time. In Minnesota, you can’t keep stuff in your car. If you are caught with more than 1.4 grams in any part of your car, except the trunk, you can go to jail for three months and be fined $1,000. The possession or sale of prostitution materials will result in additional fines.
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