ST PAUL, Minn. — The DFL-controlled Minnesota House approved legislation that would allow the legalization of recreational adult-use cannabis Tuesday afternoon, following several hours of debate.
The focus will now shift to the Senate, which is expected to take up its own version of the bill on Friday. If senators give it the green light, it would require a House-Senate conference committee to iron out differences between the two versions.
The House voted to approve the bill by a vote of 71-59, which took place mostly along party lines. Two House Republicans — Reps. Sean Hudella (R - Hastings) and Nolan West (R-Blaine) — did cross the aisle opting to vote with Democrats, while Rep. Gene Pelowski, a Democrat from Winona, also deviated from his party and voted "no."
"This bill creates a safe, well-regulated legal marketplace, and includes best practices for consumer protection, health, and public safety," said bill author Zack Stephenson (DFL - Coon Rapids), in a statement after the vote. "It also prioritizes a robust expungement program, so people who have been disproportionately impacted by our current cannabis laws can move on with their lives."
If the bill does become law, decriminalization would go into effect in August of this year for the amounts prescribed in the bill. It would take longer for the state to begin issuing licenses to dispensaries and other newly-legal businesses because an entire state regulatory agency would need to be created first.
The DFL House Caucus said the legislation was reviewed and given the green light by 16 committees before reaching a vote on the House floor. Advancing now to a vote by the Senate, if passed, the bill would make Minnesota the 23rd state in the country to allow legal cannabis use for adults.
The vote, originally expected to take place Monday, was sidelined for most of the day as members focused on other bills, delaying talks on cannabis until around 9:30 p.m. Discussions resumed late Tuesday morning.
Supporters of recreational cannabis feel this session is their best chance yet at legalization, with the trifecta of DFL control in the House, Senate and governor's office.
The 300-page House bill outlines licensing, taxing and regulation for retail cannabis sales. It also specifies the amount of cannabis that would be legal to possess, including up to 1 1/2 pounds at home and two ounces in public.
The measure also would also expunge previous low-level marijuana-related criminal convictions, as supporters argue such convictions disproportionately affect communities of color.
The bill had been modified during the committee process to address certain concerns from law enforcement agencies and Republican opponents; however, many Republicans continue to object to the amount of cannabis that would be allowed.
Several additional points of contention remained amid the House debate, including added regulations and taxes on hemp-derived THC products, as well as the inability of local cities to block cannabis retail stores.
"What we're not going to have in this bill is an opt-out. We don't want whole cities, whole counties opting out of the cannabis bill, because if we allow that, it just gives space for the illicit market to grow and thrive," said Stephenson.
Watch more Minnesota politics:
Watch the latest political coverage from the Land of 10,000 Lakes in our YouTube playlist:
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.