A bill to legalize marijuana in Minnesota will receive its first hearing in a House committee next week, and legislative leaders are encouraging the public to participate as they solicit testimony on the proposal. The announcement comes about a week after the cannabis reform legislation was filed by House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (D), Speaker Melissa Hortman (D), and other lawmakers. It would allow adults 21 and older to purchase and possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis and cultivate up to eight plants, four of which could be mature. The House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee will meet to consider the bill on February 17. Rep. Zack Stephenson (D), who chairs that panel, said in a statement that as a former prosecutor, he’s “seen firsthand the number of resources the state expands on current cannabis restrictions. Winkler said that the state’s existing marijuana laws “are doing more harm than good” and that a “responsibly regulated market is better than an illegal market.”
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 02/11/2021 17:45:00