State of Minnesota legalizes recreational use of marijuana

Court records of prior misdemeanor convictions related to marijuana use will be expunged, and a board will be established to review convictions for more serious offenses

The state of Minnesota on Tuesday became the 23rd state in the country to legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults, which will go into effect on August 1 after Democratic Governor Tim Walz ratified the rule.

The measure will allow people over 21 to carry up to two ounces of cannabis flower in public, and to keep two pounds at home.

It will also eliminate court records of prior convictions for misdemeanors related to marijuana use, and establish the creation of a board to review convictions for more serious offenses.

Similarly, the legislation establishes the creation of an office to manage cannabis, which will regulate the sale of marijuana products in the state.

The measure passed Tuesday after having bipartisan support in both state houses, which are controlled by Democrats.

“What we know now is that prohibition doesn’t work. We’ve criminalized a lot of people,” Walz said at the ceremony to ratify the signing of the measure, CNN reported.

Thus, Minnesota becomes the 23rd state in the country to allow the recreational use of marijuana. Meanwhile, 38 states, including Washington D.C., and overseas territories, allow medical use, according to the Natural Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).

The recent state measure comes on the heels of President Joe Biden’s October 2022 executive order pardoning those federally convicted of possessing marijuana.

However, most cannabis possession convictions occur at the state level, something that prompted the Biden Administration to ask governors nationwide to legalize consumption.

 

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