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. Rep. Steve Elkins (DFL - Bloomington) voted in support of the legislation.
“Under Prohibition, an unregulated illicit market in cannabis has thrived, diverting millions of potential tax dollars away from public services. This has also come at the additional cost of punishing Minnesotans, especially Black Minnesotans, for minor non-violent offenses,” Rep. Elkins said. “By passing this comprehensive and well-vetted legislation, the House is giving Minnesota the opportunity to create a safe regulated cannabis market with significantly less harm than our current system. I am proud to support this legislation and I urge our Senate colleagues to join us in creating a system that works for Minnesota.”
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.
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