Recreational marijuana: Minnesota House set to vote on legalization bill Monday

Bill to legalize recreational marijuana heads to Minnesota House floor Monday

ST. PAUL, Minn. –  The Minnesota House is set to debate and vote Monday on a 300-page bill that would legalize marijuana for recreational use

UPDATE: Minnesota House will reconvene Tuesday to vote on bill legalizing marijuana for adults 21 and older

The proposal would create a new state Office of Cannabis Management, tasked with oversight. The law would allow people 21 and older to buy, sell – if approved for state business licenses – and use marijuana.

MORE: The business of marijuana - What would it look like if Minnesota passes a law legalizing it?

It would also automatically expunge low-level cannabis convictions and set up an expungement board to consider felony offenses. 

There was a bill in 2021 that passed the House, where Democrats held a majority, but went nowhere in the GOP-led Senate. Now, lawmakers are near a vote in that chamber with a final committee stop expected this week.

The legislation this session is the culmination of hours of testimony and changes from its original drafting – it received 16 committee hearings, which is more than typical. 

Advocates have been pushing for legalization for years. If it passes, Minnesota would join 21 other states that have taken the same step. Marijuana is still a Schedule I drug that is illegal at the federal level.

Monday's floor session begins at 11:30 a.m., though debate and a vote will likely happen later in the day.

MORE: Hemp farmers, retailers concerned with direction of Minnesota marijuana legalization bill

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.