Thoughts from the void: Cannabis and Minnesota

Minnesota became the 23rd US state to legalize cannabis for recreational use, with the Gov. Tim Walz signing the final marijuana legalization bill, HF 100 on May 30th, 2023.

According the MarijuanaMoment, the key components of the legislation are as follows:

'Here are the main components of the final marijuana legalization bill, HF 100.

As of August 1, adults 21 and older will be able to possess in public up to two ounces of cannabis and they will be allowed to cultivate up to eight plants at home, four of which can be mature. People can possess up to two pounds of marijuana in their residences.

Gifting up to two ounces of marijuana without remuneration between adults will be permitted.

It’s expected to take 12-18 months for licenses to be issued and regulated sales to start. As of March 1, 2025, existing medical cannabis businesses can receive new combination licenses that would allow them to participate in the adult-use market.

Certain marijuana misdemeanor records will also be automatically expunged, with implementation beginning in August. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension will be responsible for identifying people who are eligible for relief to the courts, which will process the expungements. A newly created Cannabis Expungement Board will also consider felony cannabis offenses for relief, including potential sentence reductions for those still incarcerated.'

Minnesota's governor in Tim Walz has been a strong advocate for cannabis legalization for recreational use and has said that prohibition does not work, that it is time to make the right decisions, regulate cannabis and use the revenue that can be derived from it to improve education and to support the communities that have been disproportionately affected by the war on drugs. '“I don’t think this is a conservative vs. liberal issue — the fact of the matter is prohibition does not work,” Walz said. “I trust adults to make good decisions. I think it makes sense for us to be able to regulate, to be able educate and to use the revenues that come from this.”', as reported by CBS local.

An attempt was made earlier through a legalization bill, the House version of which was numbered HF420 in reference to cannabis culture.. The proposed framework for legalization was for adults above 21 to be able to grow, possess and purchase cannabis from licensed retailers. It talked about setting up a regulatory body to oversee licensing, testing and cultivation. This bill cleared the House but was blocked by the Republican controlled Senate. With the new power equations at the end of 2020, it remains to be seen how legalization initiatives fare now. Deep red states such as South Dakota have passed both medical and recreational use legalization by the end of 2020 through ballot initiatives where the people have exercised the right. That route always remains as the last resort if lawmakers fail to get their act together.

Minnesota has a thriving medical cannabis industry with a number of medical conditions being eligible for cannabis prescription. Recently Alzheimer's was added to the list of qualifying conditions. Cancer patients who have used medical cannabis have reported significant relief from the symptoms of cancer. Many leading physicians and medical associations are in favor of recreational use legalization.

There is strong support for recreational use legalization with organizations like Minnesotans for Responsible Marijuana Regulation, which includes Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, advocating legalization. All these factors make Minnesota one of the states to watch out for in 2020.

At least 35 US states have legalized cannabis for medical use so far. The federal US government however continues to keep cannabis in the Schedule 1 list of banned substances saying that it has no medicinal value. The list of US states that have legalized adult recreational cannabis is available here. All these states have legalized cannabis for adult recreational use, aimed specifically at improving public health, ensuring equity, reducing crime, decreasing the black market, improving law enforcement, reforming criminal justice, improving the economy, agriculture and industry, to name just a few reasons.

Listed below are articles taken from various media related to the above subject. Words in italics are the thoughts of your truly at the time of reading the article.

'A bill that would have legalized recreational marijuana died in the GOP-controlled Senate earlier this year. The sponsor of that bill Democratic Sen. Melissa Franzen says a legalization bill won’t pass unless Democrats also control the Minnesota Senate. Voters will decide that one — The entire Minnesota Senate and House are up for re-election in 2020.'
https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2019/09/01/talking-points-gov-walz-sen-gazelka-on-legalizing-recreational-marijuana/

'The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved hemp regulatory plans from Minnesota, Tennessee and Puerto Rico on Tuesday.

This latest development brings the total number of approved plans across states, territories and Indian tribes to 53.

“We thank USDA for their work on this new federal hemp program, and we are grateful they have approved Minnesota’s plan,” Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen said. “While this is a major step forward, there are still concerns over some the regulations imposed on states and tribal governments, such as testing requirements. We look forward to continuing our dialog with USDA so we can ensure Minnesota’s hemp growers and processors are successful in this fledging industry.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/usda-approves-hemp-plan-for-minnesota-tennessee-and-puerto-rico/