A bill to legalize marijuana in Minnesota that recently passed the House isn’t advancing in the Republican-controlled Senate this session—but advocates scored a different kind of victory on Monday when it comes to expanding the state’s medical cannabis program. That includes legalizing smokable forms of marijuana for registered patients. Over the weekend, a bicameral conference committee approved the reform, in addition to several other marijuana-related changes, as part of an omnibus health bill. The House adopted that report on Monday in a 77-57 vote, and the Senate is expected to take it up later in the afternoon. This is just the kind of compromise that House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (D), sponsor of the broader legalization measure that moved through 12 committees before being cleared by the chamber, predicted would come about in the face of GOP resistance to the idea of ending prohibition altogether.
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 05/17/2021 15:11:00