Minnesota Republicans call for special session to address cannabis legalization

Marijuana: Cities debate public usage policy

As recreational marijuana legalization takes effect Aug. 1, communities around the Twin Cities metro are deciding whether or not to ban public consumption, and how to enforce the policies enacted.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Minnesota Republicans requested a special session to address their concerns about the recreational cannabis legislation just days before it's set to be legalized for adult use on Aug. 1.

Twenty Republican lawmakers sent a letter to Gov. Tim Walz, House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic on Friday requesting a special session to discuss issues about the legalization of cannabis, claiming the law "effectively legalized marijuana for children."

The cannabis bill passed in May and was signed into law by Walz shortly later, making Minnesota the 23rd state to legalize adult-use cannabis starting on Aug. 1. However, Republicans suggested people 21 years and over won’t be the only ones who are using marijuana when it becomes legal.

"Marijuana use among children and teenagers is a serious problem," the letter read in part. "Adding to our concern are reports from law enforcement that marijuana is increasingly laced with other illicit drugs, including deadly fentanyl."

Republicans said the legislation has already caused issues and confusion, and they want a special session to address the following:

Needing to reinstate penalties for possession and consumption of marijuana for those under 21 years of age.
Provide local communities with broader and permanent regulatory authority over the sale, possession, and consumption of marijuana, and impose greater limits on smoking and vaping of marijuana in public places.
Close the Black-Market Loophole that allows for illicit sales to flourish in the period between when marijuana possession and consumption is legalized and when a regulated retail market is established.

"These are basic, responsible steps that can be taken now to avoid larger problems in the future. We know from last year's hastily conceived legalization of low-dose THC consumables that poorly crafted laws lead to confusion and frustration," the letter read in part.

The Minnesota Legislature is not scheduled to reconvene until February 2024. FOX 9 has reached out to Walz for comment on Republicans' request for a special session days before cannabis is set to be legalized.

You can read the full letter below.

In response, the Governor's Office provided the following statement Friday evening:

"It’s illegal for minors to use marijuana today, and it will be illegal for minors to use marijuana after this law goes into effect. Any minor caught consuming or possessing marijuana could be charged with a petty misdemeanor, and any adult caught selling marijuana to a minor could be subject to jail time. This group of republican legislators should stop implying otherwise."