ST. PAUL — A bill legalizing recreational adult-use cannabis is on its way to becoming Minnesota law.
The Minnesota Senate early Saturday morning, May 20, approved a final version of a bill that will allow marijuana possession for people 21 and older, expunge marijuana conviction records and create a new regulatory plan for the substance.
After years of advocacy at the Capitol, more than 30 committee hearings since January and two votes in both the House and Senate, the bill is now ready for a signature from Gov. Tim Walz, who supports legalization. Following the governor’s signature, it would go into effect Aug. 1.
The bill’s second-to-last stop was the Senate, which passed the bill on a 34-32 party-line vote. The House passed the same bill Thursday with three Republicans joining Democrats in a 73-57 vote.
Backers of legalization have not touted marijuana as a big money maker for the state, but instead point to the unequal outcomes for different groups in society, particularly racial and ethnic minorities, and wasted law enforcement resources as a reason to end prohibition.
Plus, whether or not pot is legal, people continue to buy, sell and use it. Regulation is the best option, supporters say.
“The system that we have right now is not working; it’s not achieving any of the goals we’re setting out for,” said Senate bill sponsor Lindsey Port, DFL-Burnsville. “If we had a way to solve this with law enforcement we would have done it, so…
