Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed a bill on Tuesday, officially legalizing the recreational use of cannabis for adults in the state. Minnesota has become the 23rd state in the US to take this step towards legalization.
The new law, set to take effect this summer, not only allows recreational cannabis use but also includes provisions for expunging low-level cannabis-related offenses. Additionally, the legislation establishes a state Office of Cannabis Management that will be responsible for regulating the industry.
Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, an ardent advocate for cannabis legalization, joined Governor Walz at the bill signing. Ventura, who served as governor from 1999 to 2003, expressed his delight at seeing the end of cannabis prohibition. “Prohibition will now end, it’s (been) going on longer than I’ve been alive, the prohibition of a plant made by God,” he said. Ventura highlighted the significance of witnessing a dream he had more than two decades ago finally become a reality.
The bill faced a close vote in the Minnesota Senate, with a party-line margin of 34-32 in favor of passing. Notably, none of the state’s Senate Republicans voted in favor of the bill. However, five House Republicans crossed party lines to support its passage. Governor Walz commended the signing as a democratic accomplishment, emphasizing the numerous hearings held during the process. He stated, “This was an exercise in democracy. I think we had 30 plus hearings.”
Minnesota’s lawmakers view the legalization bill as an end to a prohibition that has disproportionately affected communities of color. Senator Lindsey Port, the bill’s chief author, highlighted the negative impacts of cannabis prohibition on the lives of Minnesotans and stressed the need to create a regulated market that works for adult-use cannabis.
While some Republicans expressed concerns about potential negative impacts on mental health and criminal trends, the majority supported the bill’s passage. Republican Senator Warren Limmer expressed his apprehension, stating, “We’re opening a door that is going to be very difficult to close, and it’s going to be very difficult to put the genie back in the bottle once this occurs.”
Under the new law, adults aged 21 and over will be allowed to possess up to two pounds of cannabis flower in their homes and carry up to two ounces of flower, eight grams of concentrate, or 800 milligrams of edible cannabis products.
