A proposal to legalize marijuana for adults is up for a vote in the Minnesota House for the first time in state history.
The measure is expected to pass in the DFL-led chamber on Thursday and has the backing of Gov. Tim Walz. It faces long odds in the Senate, where Republicans in control have said it is not a priority this session.
But supporters say the historic vote marks shifting attitudes toward marijuana in Minnesota and across the nation, where 16 states have already voted to legalize the drug and are generating new tax revenue.
Minnesota’s proposal allows adults 21 and older to buy and possess marijuana, while spelling out safety requirements and setting up a marketplace to sell it. It dedicates funding to youth access prevention and substance abuse treatment programs.
The centerpiece of the bill are racial equity provisions that supporters say will begin to address the disproportionate toll marijuana policing has taken on communities of color. Black people are more than five times more likely than white people to be arrested for marijuana possession in Minnesota, despite comparable usage rates, according to a 2020 report from the American Civil Liberties Union.
The bill would automatically expunge low-level marijuana convictions and create a special board to review others. [Read more at The Star Tribune]
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