Minnesota House to vote on legalizing marijuana Thursday
In this Feb. 14, 2019 photo, cannabis seedlings grow under lights as part of a research project by students in the new cannabis minor program at the State University of New York at Morrisville, N.Y.[Associated Press]
Thursday afternoon, the Minnesota House is scheduled to vote on a bill to legalize cannabis recreationally and expunge the records of those convicted for non-violent offenses involving marijuana.
The bill has been approved by 12 House committees ahead of its floor vote on Thursday in the Democrat-controlled chamber.
However, the bill isn’t expected to be approved in the Republican-controlled Senate, particularly with the end of the legislative session less than a week away. Republicans have strongly opposed legalizing marijuana recreationally, only signaling a willingness to adjust the state’s medical cannabis program.
The bill would permit Minnesotans 21 years of age and older to have up to 2 ounces of cannabis in public or up to 10 pounds at home. It would also create an account to use money generated from taxing cannabis sales to provide tax relief for lower and middle-income taxpayers.
At least 17 states have legalized marijuana for recreational use, most recently New Mexico and New York.