This legislation will further decriminalize and regulate cannabis use in Minnesota. The bill will primarily focus on the regulatory framework to provide for responsible oversight of recreational use of cannabis.
In 2013, when medical cannabis became law, policymakers and members of the public participated in a month-long conversation about the merits of legalization of medical cannabis. While emotions ran high, a bipartisan consensus created a carefully regulated system with safeguards to prevent abuse. As more states legalize cannabis for recreational use, most recently our Midwest neighbor Michigan, Minnesota has thus far been reluctant to engage in the kind of serious conversations that happened five years ago, until now. SF 619 is receiving its first hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee this week, and I welcome a respectful debate to address the public’s concerns and the challenges to implementation.