Minnesota House of Representatives Approves Adult-use Cannabis Legalization
The Minnesota House recently passed an adult-use cannabis legalization bill.
Democrat-controlled Minnesota House of Representatives approved a recreational cannabis legalization bill in April 2023. The legislation passed in a bipartisan vote, 71-59 (1) and will now advance to the Senate, which could hold a hearing on the bill.
The Democratic Farmer-Labor (DFL), the Minnesota-specific affiliate of the national Democratic Party, holds a majority in both chambers of the Legislature and in the governor’s office.
Governor Tim Walz supports the bill and will sign it into law if it reaches his desk.
If the cannabis legalization law succeeds in the Senate and Walz signs it into law, Minnesota would then become the 23rd state in the US to legalize recreational adult-use cannabis. The bill was first introduced in January 2023 and has gone through thorough review, including various hearings and votes in 16 committees.
If this new legislation becomes law, MJBiz mentions that it would (1):
- Establish an Office of Cannabis Management, which would set precise rules for licensed cultivation, manufacturing, and sales, including fees and any license caps.
- Set a state gross-receipts tax of 8% and ban local taxes.
- Allow controversial hemp-derived cannabinoids in finished edibles products but ban so-called “artificially derived” cannabinoids such as THC-O (2).
- Direct a state agency to give cash grants to nonprofits that would be steered toward cannabis microbusinesses in the form of startup loans and job development.
- Allow adults 21 and older to possess up to 2 ounces of cannabis in public and up to 1.5 pounds at home and cultivate up to four mature flowering plants.
- Assess civil penalties against violators of the law, such as anyone selling without a state license. Penalties would be assessed on a sliding scale depending on the amount sold.
References
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