The full Minnesota Senate has passed legislation, already approved by the House of Representatives, that would expedite the start of legal recreational marijuana sales.
On Friday, the Senate approved the measure introduced by State Representative Zack Stephenson (D) with a vote of 34 to 32. Last month, the House of Representatives passed the proposal with a 69 to 62 vote. Since the measure was amended in the Senate, a conference committee will be formed to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. Once unified, the bill will be forwarded to Governor Tim Walz, who is expected to sign it into law if it reaches his desk.
“This newly regulated, legalized and regulated industry is in its infancy, and we’re here to continue the work we started last year,” says Senator Lindsey Port (D). “Like any new industry, it will not be fully grown on day one. This bill works to ensure a successful market launch and support the industry and Minnesotans involved in this industry as it grows and develops.”
The legislation would enable the state to start issuing licenses for marijuana stores this summer, with openings anticipated by fall. This timeline is significantly ahead of the schedule set by the state’s marijuana legalization law, —signed by Governor Walz last May— which puts marijuana stores on track to open sometime in 2025.
The measure would also put the Office of Cannabis Management in charge medical marijuana and hemp-derived products, which currently fall under the enforcement of the Department of Health.
Rep. Stephenson says “The difference here between current law and the bill is moving from a more subjective scoring system under current law, to a more objective sort of binary yes-no choice under this bill. And that’s designed to make things smoother, clearer, less subject to litigation and have it happen faster.”
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