What legal marijuana could look like in Minnesota
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota House passed the recreational cannabis bill on a 71 to 59 vote Tuesday.
It's not the first time that's happened, but now that Democrats also control the Senate, that bill has its best chance ever to become law.
David Schuman explains what legalization could look like in Minnesota.
Angela Dawson is one of Minnesota's few Black farmers. With legal cannabis on the horizon, she's excited about its prospects as a sustainable crop. But she says the path to profitability will have its bumps.
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"To let us get access to the market and build up our infrastructure in farm country, specifically, we need a good six-month notice before we know what to plant."
Some of the rules surrounding cannabis come with more certainty. At first, only home growth will be allowed. Then an Office of Cannabis Management will be set up to license dispensaries, meaning you will have to show ID to get in. And you probably won't be able to buy marijuana just about anywhere, like you can with edibles right now.
"By allowing it to be legal before the regulatory framework is set up, we are establishing the black market," said Rep. Kristin Robbins, R-Maple Grove.
The House bill allows people to have up to 2 ounces in public. And wherever smoking or vaping already isn't allowed, that will stand for cannabis. But cities will have to decide on anywhere else in public, like parks.
The other major impact will be wiping minor cannabis convictions off people's records.
"It can really get in the way of a person's ability to rent an apartment, get a loan for a car, find employment," said Leili Fatehi with MN is Ready.
"Now we have something to look forward to economically, but it's also a chance for us to pause for a minute, look back on sort of the War on Drugs and the harm that's been done," said Anthony Newby, owner of Cultivated CBD.
The Minnesota Senate is expected to vote on this legislation by Friday, and Gov. Tim Walz says he would sign it. That would make marijuana legal on August 1.
MORE: Hemp farmers, retailers concerned with direction of Minnesota marijuana legalization bill
