Minnesota Senate Approves Marijuana Legalization Bill, Sending It To The Governor

SB85

Well-Known Member
The Minnesota Senate has sent a bill to legalize marijuana to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.

Senators passed the legislation from Sen. Lindsey Port (D) and Rep. Zack Stephenson (D) in a 34-32 vote early on Saturday morning.



Details

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

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

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

Prior marijuana records would also be automatically expunged, beginning in August. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension would be responsible for identifying people who are eligible for relief and process the expungements. A Cannabis Expungement Board would also need to identify other misdemeanor offenses eligible for expungement that were not automatically cleared and notify the courts to process clemency.


In addition to creating a system of licensed cannabis businesses, municipalities and counties could own and operate government dispensaries.


On-site consumption permits could be approved for events, and cannabis delivery services would be permitted under the bill


Local governments would not be allowed to prohibit marijuana businesses from operating in their areas, though they could set “reasonable” regulations on the time of operation and location while also limiting the number of cannabis business licenses based on population size.


There would be a gross receipts tax on cannabis sales in the amount of 10 percent, which will be applied in addition to the state’s standard 6.875 percent sales tax.

Eighty percent of revenue would go into the state’s general fund—with some monies earmarked for grants to help cannabis businesses, fund substance misuse treatment efforts and other programs—and 20 percent would go to local governments.

A new Office of Cannabis Management would be established, and it would be responsible for regulating the market and issuing cannabis business licenses. There would be a designated Division of Social Equity.

The legislation would promote social equity, in part by ensuring diverse licensing by scoring equity applicants higher. People living in low-income neighborhoods and military veterans who lost honorable status due to a cannabis-related offense would be considered social equity applicants eligible for priority licensing. People convicted of cannabis offenses, or who have an immediate family member with such a conviction, would also qualify.




Minnesota Senate Approves Marijuana Legalization Bill, Sending It To The Governor - Marijuana Moment
 

Highway61

Well-Known Member
As the 23rd of 50 legal states, Wobegon and its children are still above average.

Looks like the final bill only allows possession of eight grams of concentrates but up to two pounds of flower at home and two ounces away from home. Quite a disparity between flower and concentrates. Not sure why.
 

deno

Well-Known Member
Because they are idiots. Four plants is plenty for me, and they can go fuck themselves if they are looking inside my house to check if I've got more than two pounds. I've got that now in shit I should throw in the compost.
 

doughper

Well-Known Member
That appears to be one of the best legalization bills i've seen of all 20-some odd state laws.
It says u can grow 8 plants, have 2 lbs, give away 2 oz. Some states won't allow you to have
more than an Oz in your home. Some won't allow growing w/o licensing, etc, and then there
are states only allowing med grows, not rec grows, etc, etc., with their fucking ambiguous laws!
 

doughper

Well-Known Member
Looks like the final bill only allows possession of eight grams of concentrates but up to two pounds of flower at home and two ounces away from home. Quite a disparity between flower and concentrates. Not sure why.
Why? Do you think 2 lbs of extract is the same amount of thc as 2 lbs of flower? C'mon man, it takes 2 lbs of flower to make, oh, i dunno, 8 or so oz of extract. I mean granted, i don't like it. I like none of the laws due to their written-in confusion, but at least it's legal. Just compare MN law with most other states, it's as liberal as any state law i've seen towards cannabis and canna products.
 

Highway61

Well-Known Member
No but two pounds of flower is a lot more thc than 8 grams of extract. I thought it odd that the legislature would allow possession of two pounds of flower but only eight grams of extract. Seems that extracts caused more concern at the legislature than justified by the limit imposed.
 
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