There is a push in Minnesota to bring a recreational cannabis market to the mainstream.
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Earlier this week, State Representative Jon Applebaum introduced a bill in the State Legislature aimed at creating a taxed and regulated system that would allow cannabis to be handled in manner similar to alcoholic beverages. The proposal would legalize the cultivation, possession and sale of marijuana, giving adults 21 and over the freedom to purchase the substance from retail outlets all across the state.
“The world is changing, and Minnesotans are rightfully developing different attitudes on marijuana,” Rep. Applebaum said in a statement. “Other states’ successes, along with the failed prohibition attempts of others, have validated the need for a statewide conversation on legalizing the personal, recreational use of marijuana.”
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Unfortunately, a push to bring a fully legally cannabis industry to the Land of 10,000 Lakes is a long shot. Presently, Minnesota is home to one of the most restrictive medical marijuana programs in the nation. In fact, it has only been within the past year that state health officials have begun to slowly loosen some of the rules associated with the program in an effort to allow people with more common health conditions to gain access. Still, patients are not permitted to smoke marijuana – all of the pot sold in the state’s limited number of dispensaries comes in the form of cannabis derivatives, like pills and oils.
But one cannot achieve a knockout without first taking a swing, which is exactly what Applebaum plans to do by opening up the discussion of legalization in the 2017 legislative session. His mission is to convince his colleagues that a fully legal cannabis trade would buoy the state economy and create a wealth of opportunity for its citizens.
“Ultimately, I envision a billion dollar ‘Made in Minnesota’ marijuana economy, where the products are grown by Minnesota farmers, distributed by Minnesota companies, and sold by Minnesota small business owners,” he said. “Ideally, all tax proceeds would be directed towards funding Minnesota’s public schools and would result in lower taxes for Minnesota families.”
Even if Applebaum’s bill is welcomed with open arms in the coming months, there is very little chance it would be signed into law.
According to a report from the Star Tribune, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton remains adamantly opposed to the concept of marijuana legalization – even if the herb is safer than alcohol.
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“I don’t support it,” he said. “We’ve got enough drugs, an epidemic of drugs that’s floating through our society right now. And law enforcement’s got to deal with all the consequences of it. Whether it’s more or less harmful than alcohol, the fact is, alcohol causes a great many terrible tragedies around the state, on the roads and the like.”
Nevertheless, Applebaum says legal weed is going to happen eventually, so “it would be in Minnesota’s best interest if we start talking about it now.”
