Minnesota House of Representatives Approves Adult-use Cannabis Legalization
The Minnesota House recently passed an adult-use cannabis legalization bill.
Democrat-controlled Minnesota House of Representatives approved a recreational cannabis legalization bill in April 2023. The legislation passed in a bipartisan vote, 71-59 (1) and will now advance to the Senate, which could hold a hearing on the bill.
The Democratic Farmer-Labor (DFL), the Minnesota-specific affiliate of the national Democratic Party, holds a majority in both chambers of the Legislature and in the governor’s office.
Governor Tim Walz supports the bill and will sign it into law if it reaches his desk.
If the cannabis legalization law succeeds in the Senate and Walz signs it into law, Minnesota would then become the 23rd state in the US to legalize recreational adult-use cannabis. The bill was first introduced in January 2023 and has gone through thorough review, including various hearings and votes in 16 committees.
If this new legislation becomes law, MJBiz mentions that it would (1):
- Establish an Office of Cannabis Management, which would set precise rules for licensed cultivation, manufacturing, and sales, including fees and any license caps.
- Set a state gross-receipts tax of 8% and ban local taxes.
- Allow controversial hemp-derived cannabinoids in finished edibles products but ban so-called “artificially derived” cannabinoids such as THC-O (2).
- Direct a state agency to give cash grants to nonprofits that would be steered toward cannabis microbusinesses in the form of startup loans and job development.
- Allow adults 21 and older to possess up to 2 ounces of cannabis in public and up to 1.5 pounds at home and cultivate up to four mature flowering plants.
- Assess civil penalties against violators of the law, such as anyone selling without a state license. Penalties would be assessed on a sliding scale depending on the amount sold.
References
Ep 24, Part III: Data Transparency in Cannabis Testing with Yasha Kahn
December 26th 2024In the final part of this episode, Evan Friedmann and Yasha Kahn discuss the need for a national entity to centralize cannabis data collection, moving from snapshot data to continuous updates. They emphasize the importance of accurate lab data and adverse event tracking, suggesting QR codes on packaging to report issues. Yasha suggests harsher consequences for result manipulation and suggests collaboration between state departments and federal entities to support underfunded regulators. They also discuss the potential benefits of off-the-shelf testing and the importance of stability testing. Finally, Yasha shares his top three reading recommendations for the audience.
Ep 24, Part II: Data Transparency in Cannabis Testing with Yasha Kahn
December 12th 2024Evan Friedmann and Yasha Kahn, co-founder of MCR Labs, discuss the discrepancies between current regulations and data on mycotoxins and pesticides in cannabis products. They highlight the need for updated regulations based on new data, emphasizing the importance of accurate testing and labeling. They also discuss the issue of result manipulation, particularly in THC content, and the need for public health officials to address this. Yasha suggests making testing data public to enhance oversight and suggests a national entity to manage this data for better consistency and public safety.
