SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Today, the Minnesota House approved legislation for the legalization of adult-use cannabis in Minnesota. The bill would make Minnesota the 23rd state to do so and the third in the Midwest.
Rep. Liz Olson (DFL – Duluth) voted for the bill.
“Our current cannabis laws have resulted in deep harm, and Minnesotans have been loud and clear that they’re ready for legal cannabis,” Rep. Olson said. “By legalizing adult-use cannabis, we can address criminal justice inequities, help veterans and others whose health benefits from the plant, and create new economic opportunities for entrepreneurs. With the responsible, sensible, regulatory framework under this bill, we can deliver better outcomes for our communities in a variety of ways.”
The bill creates the Office of Cannabis Management, which will oversee the regulation of cannabis, cannabis products, hemp edibles, and hemp-derived consumer products. To address inequities in the criminal justice system throughout the criminal prohibition of cannabis, the legislation also provides for automatic expungement of prior petty misdemeanor and misdemeanor marijuana convictions and creates a Cannabis Expungement Board to review other cannabis convictions and determine whether a person is eligible for expungement.
This legislation directs the Department of Employment and Economic Development to provide grants to nonprofit corporations to subsidize startup loans to new cannabis microbusinesses, and help cannabis businesses start and train employees.
The bill is currently moving through the legislative process in the Minnesota Senate.