SAINT PAUL, Minn. – On Thursday, May 13th, the Minnesota House passed HF 600, a bill which legalizes and regulates adult-use cannabis in Minnesota, while expunging records of people convicted for nonviolent offenses involving cannabis. The bill was passed on a bipartisan vote of 72-61. Reps. Liz Boldon and Tina Liebling (DFL - Rochester) both voted in support of the legislation.
“It is past time that Minnesota ends our destructive and costly criminalization of cannabis, a. A criminalization that has taken a vastly disproportionate toll on communities of color,” Rep. Boldon said. “This bill was carefully crafted after years of consulting experts, stakeholders, and community members across the state. Minnesota is ready to legalize adult-use cannabis, and this is the best bill to do so.”
“Prohibition of cannabis has been a dismal failure. It has not kept cannabis away from our children and has especially hurt communities of color. The majority of Minnesotans are ready for a safe, legal way for adults to obtain cannabis for personal use, and this bill offers a new approach that recognizes the damage prohibition has caused,” said Rep. Tina Liebling. “This legislation was written after listening to what Minnesotans want from a state cannabis policy, and I was proud to support it.”
The bill consists of 9 articles designed to end the harmful prohibition of cannabis while creating a safe, effective, just, and stable legal framework for its legalization:
- Article 1: Regulatory framework, including licensing, for adult-use cannabis industry;
- Article 2: Tax provisions;
- Article 3: Food safety
- Article 4: Grants to small businesses and individuals to launch cannabis industry;
- Article 5: Modify criminal penalties related to the possession, sale, and cultivation of cannabis;
- Article 6: Expungement of criminal records for marijuana offenses,
- Article 7: Miscellaneous provisions relating to workplace restrictions and other matters,
- Article 8: Reschedules marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III;
- Article 9: Appropriations to state agencies and boards.
Video recording of today’s floor session will be made available on the House Public Information YouTube channel.