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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The push to completely legalize marijuana in Minnesota can be up for debate once more this legislative session.
The problem has gained momentum within the final month, with the House of Representatives passing federal laws. It nonetheless faces opposition within the Senate. Voters in South Dakota, Montana, New Jersey and Arizona made leisure Marijuana authorized in November.
“Public support is growing for legalizing and expunging criminal records for cannabis,” House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler stated.
Winkler will once more sponsor a invoice for legalization, and explains there are two parts to it.
“We want to create a safe, regulated marketplace where people can buy cannabis, know what they’re getting, where law enforcement knows where cannabis is coming into the community,” Winkler stated.
He stated addressing the prison justice facet of marijuana is paramount.
“There are obviously big racial biases in the criminal justice system, very different arrest rates, very different incarceration depending on your race. The big hurdle is not really trying to convince people that cannabis is good. Nobody is trying to say that. What we’re saying is the current system fails every test of a good public response to a drug that has some adverse effects and has some positive benefits,” Winkler stated.
Ahead of final years’ session, Winkler held city corridor listening classes across the state. He heard the advantages from individuals, together with how it could assist these that may’t entry the present medical marijuana program. He admits there are drawbacks, together with danger concerned with driving whereas excessive.
“There’s always a balance of harms, and I think impaired driving is a relatively smaller harm compared to the harms we’re creating through prohibition,” Winkler stated.
WCCO needed to know what he thinks the possibility of getting it handed in Minnesota this subsequent session.
“I really see Senate leadership as being the number one obstacle. I think if they would agree to put this on the ballot in 2022, I think it would pass overwhelmingly,” Winkler stated.
A Senate spokesperson advised WCCO: “With a divided government returning to the capitol in 2021, I don’t think recreational marijuana will have a different outcome than last legislative session.” They added that this session can be centered on the price range and COVID restoration. Still there’s work happening within the background as the subject is mentioned within the state, says the director of Office of Medical Cannabis.
“We are an early adopter. We want to be on board to learn all that we can, this is obviously a hot topic, legalization,” Chris Tholkes stated.
The Minnesota Department of Health is a founding member of the Cannabis Regulators Association, or CANN-RA. Members are state regulators chargeable for implementing a hashish program. Here in Minnesota, MDH already regulates medical marijuana.
“It’s just looking at learning from other states that have been doing this longer, what have they put into practice in their state and what can we learn from that,” Tholkes stated.
Winkler says he labored with state businesses when drafting the unique invoice, and can proceed to push for its listening to and passage.
“We can do it right and it’s time for us to get moving,” Winkler stated.
The legislative session is scheduled to start Jan. 5.
WCCO traveled to Colorado in 2019 to take a look at how that state is doing years after legalizing leisure marijuana. We additionally arrange a street check to take a look at the risks of driving whereas excessive.
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