Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Waltz on Tuesday signed the bill legalizing the recreational use of cannabis in the state.
With this signing, Minnesota becomes the 23rd US state to legalize cannabis for adult use and the third state in the Midwest to do so after Michigan in 2019 and Missouri in 2022.
“It’s been a long journey with many people involved,” said Tim Walz. “What we know today is that prohibition doesn’t work. We have criminalized a large number of people who will be able to begin the process of expunging their criminal records. »
“It will take us some time to put this program in place. We will appoint people to positions that will allow them to manage this project,” he added. “But I can assure the people of Minnesota that we have given a lot of thought. A lot of things learned in other states are incorporated into how we do things, and the thinking around this legislation gives us a really good guiding principle.”
Minnesota just became the 23rd state in the nation to legalize adult-use cannabis.
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) May 30, 2023
Under the new law, Minnesota residents age 21 and older will be able, starting August 1, to possess up to two ounces (56 grams) of cannabis flower in public and two pounds (1 kilogram) at home. . The law also gives people who have been convicted of cannabis possession the option to expunge their criminal records by automatically removing low-level convictions and establishing a review board to determine eligibility for higher-level offenses. .
Additionally, the legislation creates an Office of Cannabis Management, which will oversee the regulation and sale of cannabis products in the state. Regulators are expected to need 12-18 months to set up a licensed commercial sales system.
Home cultivation will also become legal in the state on August 1.
“This bill creates a safe and well-regulated legal marketplace, and includes best practices in consumer protection, health and public safety. It also prioritizes a strong conviction reversal program, so that people who have been disproportionately impacted by our current cannabis laws can get their lives back on track. It’s time to legalize, and I’m proud to support this bill,” Zack Stephenson, the state’s Democratic Representative and author of the bill, said in a press release ahead of final passage.
