Minnesota became the 23rd state to legalize adult-use cannabis today after Gov. Tim Walz (D) signed the state’s legislature-approved legalization proposal, according to a Northern News Now report.
The 300-page bill legalizes adult-use cannabis for adults aged 21 and older, setting the personal possession limits at two ounces of flower in public and up to two pounds at home. The proposal also legalizes the home growing of up to eight plants with a maximum of four flowering plants at a time, and includes automatic expungement provisions for cannabis misdemeanors or petty possession charges.
Under the proposal, cannabis possession and cultivation will become legal on August 1 while adult-use licenses are not expected until the summer of 2024. When Minnesota retailers and other operators launch their businesses — expected sometime in 2025 — commercial cannabis products will carry an additional 10% tax from the state.
The proposal also creates a new Office of Cannabis Management, which will oversee the licensing of medical and adult-use cannabis operators and set regulations for those industries, as well as for hemp-derived consumer products.
The legalization bill’s success marks the end of a years-long effort by the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, which took full control of the state government in 2022 and this year has secured multiple legislative victories.
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