More than legal marijuana: Other laws taking effect in Minnesota Tuesday

MINNEAPOLIS -- Tuesday is the day recreational marijuana became legal in Minnesota, but there are other impactful laws taking effect, too. (The full list of new laws going into effect is available at the bottom of this article.)

New public safety legislation expands background checks to private gun transfers, not just purchases from federally licensed firearms dealers. 

Penalties for possessing a machine gun are also increased, with maximum imprisonment now 20 years, rather than 5, and fines up to $35,000, raised from $10,000. 

"Under Minnesota statutes, rifles and shotguns did not require a background check in the past, and that continues to be the case, so long as the rifle or shotgun is not on the list of semiautomatic military-style assault rifles," a representative of the Department of Public Safety told WCCO Tuesday.

Also, as part of that public safety package, inmates can reduce their sentence by up to 17% by participating in a rehabilitation program.

Bikers and drivers should both take note that bicyclists are now allowed to slow and roll through stop signs, rather than being required to make a full stop. They can only do so if there are no cars "in the vicinity," according to the bill's text.

It is also now a crime to use "deep fake" technology to influence an election or disseminate nonconsensual pornography. Influencing an election carries a punishment of up to 90 days and/or a $1,000 fine, unless the perpetrator has been convicted of a similar crime within five years or intended to cause violence or bodily harm. The punishment for creating deep fake porn is up to three years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine.