SAINT PAUL, Minn. – On Thursday, May 13th, the Minnesota House passed HF 600, a bill which legalizes and regulates adult-use cannabis in Minnesota, while expunging records of people convicted for nonviolent offenses involving cannabis. The bill was passed on a bipartisan vote of 72-61. Rep. Erin Koegel (DFL - Spring Lake Park) voted in support of the legislation.
“Legal cannabis has proven to be a better alternative to prohibition in state after state. Minnesota has learned from the successes and failures of these states allowing us to create a bill that will be one of the best in the nation,” Rep. Koegel said. “Minnesotans are ready for cannabis legislation and I’m proud to support this timely change. I hope that our colleagues in the Senate recognize the wide ranging benefits that this legislation will bring to every community in our state.”
The bill consists of 9 articles designed to end the harmful prohibition of cannabis while creating a safe, effective, just, and stable legal framework for its legalization:
- Article 1: Regulatory framework, including licensing, for adult-use cannabis industry;
- Article 2: Tax provisions;
- Article 3: Food safety
- Article 4: Grants to small businesses and individuals to launch cannabis industry;
- Article 5: Modify criminal penalties related to the possession, sale, and cultivation of cannabis;
- Article 6: Expungement of criminal records for marijuana offenses,
- Article 7: Miscellaneous provisions relating to workplace restrictions and other matters,
- Article 8: Reschedules marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III;
- Article 9: Appropriations to state agencies and boards.
Video recording of today’s floor session will be made available on the House Public Information YouTube channel.
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