In just three weeks, on August 1, Minnesota will officially become the 23rd state where marijuana can be legally possessed for recreational purposes.
Starting Tuesday, August 1, those who are 21 and older in Minnesota will be allowed to possess up to two ounces of marijuana in public, and up to two pounds at a private residence. This is thanks to a law narrowly passed in the state’s legislature and signed by Governor Tim Walz in May.
The law also allows those 21+ to possess up to eight grams of marijuana concentrates and 800mg of marijuana edibles, and they can grow up to eight plants at an enclosed location.
The part of the new law creating the Office of Cannabis Management took effect on July 1. However, it’s expected that licenses won’t be issued for marijuana businesses until sometime in 2025, meaning it’s likely to be at least two years before Minnesotans have a legal access point for recreational cannabis.
On August 1 the process of automatically expunging past marijuana convictions will also begin, with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension overseeing the expungement process.
With Minnesota’s marijuana law going into effect on August 1, there will be 23 legal marijuana states, with all 23 legalizing in the past 11 years.
